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TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


A RECORD OF THE EXPEDITION TO 
MIDDLE AMERICA CONDUCTED 
BY 
THE TULANE UNIVERSITY 
OF LOUISIANA 
IN 1925. 





VOL. I. 


Published by 
THE TULANE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
New Orleans, La. 
1926 








An edition of fifty numbered copies 
this book has been printed on 


special paper. 


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pal 





oom 
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i. ae 


> en ae 


This book is dedicated 
to 
ALFRED P. MAUDSLAY 


who was the first to explore the Maya ruins in a modern 
scientific way, and who in the section on archae- 
ology of the Biologia Centrali Americana 
gave the world a monumental collec- 
tion of material for future 
research, 


EXPEDITIONARY STAFF 


Frans Brom, Archaeologist, in Charge 


Oxiver La Farce, Ethnologist, Assistant 








Lazaro HERNANDEZ GUILLERMO, Guide 


CONTENTS OF VOLUME I 


PAGE 
eee ELL LUSTRATIONS) ses sss nee as Ata fae ee ws I-V 
LETS ORES Meal GIN a eg eR oale 920 Pn cae 1-2 
CrAPTeER I. ‘ PREPARATIONS AND EQUIPMENT. . . 3-8 
erties ie START i0 e S 9-28 
Cuaprer III. AMONG THE INDIANS OF THE TUXTLA 

VE OTT AUN SOs Wee ie tee eee 29-48 
CuaptTer LV. OPRSERVATIONS ON THE INDIANS OF THE 

SAN Martin Pagarpan REGION. . . 49-66 
CHAPTER V. DHE COATZACOALCOS BASIN: 55/2). 67-92 
CuaptTer VI. Wee viAv A COUNTRY ssa... 0 on OLS 
CuaAPTER VII. ALONG THE FOOTHILLS OF CHIAPAS. . 139-166 
Sawin Ly. “PALENGUE. 7. ce 0 37 cpm ae LOt- 198 
CHAPTER IX. INTO: THE, BiG FORESTOS.. 6.) le et - 2 EO 


CHAPTER X. HINCANTOU Gs) 5 ole ee a ee ee eee eens 





Copyright by : 
THE TULANE UNIVERSITY OF LOU 





Seat e eae Fee re 


— 
— 


11. 


ILLUSTRATIONS IN VOLUME I. 


MAPS 
PAGE 
Key Map, shewing route of expedition in relation to New Orleans ..on Cover 
paumiern part of the State of ‘Veracruz, Mexico (2.22... 5. ti ss. .. 14 
The State of Tabasco, Mexico............ a Eee Dae | RO Tae 60 sete SiMe ee eg oy 92 
Perea Dp Of theshulnsoote balengue. ec. set ob, ook oe fee Riel ecg lee 180 
PLATES 
Palenque. Example of fresco painting on exterior wall on House E........ 172 
Palenque. Stucco ornament with original colors from Temple of the 
1ST Bate VRB STE Pm vee Reg ot mae ew <1 Saat Ne oe! SP elt te a EEE aes 174 
A Bcck ILS LS As i ES sn ee ee. is ee eae ce PE Peery ee em ee 228 
Wels chien’ odie © RZ AI) BSc ioe > 50s: Seek emanates Ree Ce aN rear eRe LOE EP 232 
Remn SOW ULL = Caer te ree one ce eae Roeee har art een LAR 232 
GS cine, UCR Ned Be NS a <2 eats a a Et BRE RN WRN lS DUPE nye ad 232 
Mie SMELT URE LGV i seco case ce wncian gc tucee renee saee thas Ee ea ne 234 
FIGURES 
Peripicu Oil tankers “entering “Tamesi River® 9 
anipico.. Mounds by the,Gorgas Hospital... Ae ee 10 
Pere cone Unbarvael Urine Mol. 20. ee IN es ee 7 ees Hig 
Tampico. Public scribes on the principal square....:27................... aera Pe 11 
Pimecotiae Wii. End-view) of ancient walls.c0e7 eee eae 12 
Huexotla, D. F. Section of mound showing various floor levels.............. 13 
Prpexotla) ol... OldsSpanish bridge. 2. ace ee 13 
Texcoco, D. F. Section of mound built of adobe brick..............0........ ...... 14 
Coyoacan, D. F. The Avenue of Famous Men in the garden of Casa 
Bebe AO o-oo Se ak eee Ne. te ee ee 14 
Mexico, D. F. Maya limestone stela in the yard of the National 
Wi set oes 2) Bec 2 ee eR ee ee ee 15 
Mexico, D. F. Inscription from Maya stela in the yard of the 
ational GMinseum' Wake fo. ee a ee ee eee ee 16 
Cocuite,.Vex. | Spindle whorl*painted. withtasphalt-5 2 es eee 16 
Cocuite, Ver. Totonac clay idol of the laughing face type... 22.27.0722 17 
ocuites Ver. \ Design -on: idols Figure #13... 22... ee eee 18 
pane Andres’ Duxtla,” Ver. Stone) idol representing’ frog) a 19 
San Andres Tuxtla, Ver... Three rabbits’ heads. of stone... 19 
ner Aztecy hieroglyph of Sl uxtlan l= ie ey ee eee eet 20 
Catemaco, Ver. View of Catemaco village, the lake, and the sacred 
Inland sAgpaltepéet 2) aig. eae ee Be ee 21 
Catemaco, Ver. Fragment of stone idol................. cs oe ae ee 22 
Catemaco,>Vér,. Grotesque ustone: head i702 a2 ee 22 
Catemaco; Ver. Egg-shaped idol*from Tenaspi Island == 2. 22 
Agaltepec Island. Rough plan of the eastern part of the island............ 23 
Matacanela, Ver. Rabbit's head carved in stone..-.....05022-2.-2--- 24 


i 


Or Or MH 


Or 


Or TH 
GOIANEWNHES 


Or 


Matacanela, Ver. I'wo stone boxes... fcc.ceeeccsccscuesess--. ee ee 24 
Matacanela, Ver: Serpents: head «of ‘stone...........2e..-..... ee ee 25 
Matacanela, Vers Cireulan‘altar.,.2. 40 ee ee 26 
Catemaco, Ver. Volcanic cone at the end of village street___...._..............- 26 
Ocozotepec, Ver. Principal street with the Santa Marta mountains 

in (the chackproutid <3 es ieee. de eee eee eee ee 28 
san Martin Mountain and oak-forests.. 22.0.0 ..ccu-act =~ oo 
Mecayapan, Ver. ‘The Tulane Expedition on the trail... eee 30 
Mecayapan, Ver. Church and “steeple. 2... 3 ne 13 
Tatahuicapa, Ver. Hammock. bridge made of vines.......4....2..25. 32 
Tatahuicapa, Ver. View of the village with the San Martin Pajapa 

Voleano in the background.2o a 33 
Tatahuicapa, Ver.. Indian huts under “mango tree”. 2... 34 
Tatahuicapa, Ver. Indian woman going to the river for water................ 35 
Tatahuicapa, Ver. Indian child carrying clay pot on her head................ 36 
Piedra Labrada, Ver. Anctent-imetate.... -......!J2. eee cw ee 
Piedra Labrada, Ver. -Stela Nov 1c. be... eee 40 
Piedra Labrada, Ver. Small grinding stone in form of animal.............. 41 
Piedra Labrada, Ver. Fragment of female idol_.........2) eee 4] 
San Martin Pajapan, Ver. Drawing of idol from top of the volcano 

made by Ismael Loya. in’ 1897_........... -e AA 
San Martin Pajapan, Ver. Drawing of same idol as fig. 51 as it 

mOW stands. cite <cc2sc--.-9dec eee eenig Gere nse AS 
San Martin Pajapan, Ver. Idol from the top of the mountain_............... 46 
Tatahuicapa, Ver. Trading for arrows with the Indians=.2.2) =e 52 
Ocozotepec, Ver. ‘The Municipal House... eee 
San Martin Pajapan, Ver. Bows and arrows. ......... ..... -- Reneet ee 57 
Ocozotepec. Ver. Popoluca man showing the use of bow and arrow. .... 58 
Tatahuicapa, Ver. Drawing of weave.................. 59 
Piedra Labrada, Ver. Popoluca Indian woman grinding corn, and 

girl baking tortillas........4.....c0:c0 gees. ee 60 
Piedra Labrada, Ver. Indian boy with bow and arrow...) 2s 61 
Tatahuicapa, Ver. Women preparing tortillas for the fiesta.................... 62 
Tatahuicapa, Ver. The village saint, San Isidro-... 2) 63 
Ocozotepec, Ver. Indians beating drums in honor of their saint_............. 64 
Puerto Mexico, Ver. The mouth of the Coatzacoalcos River_..............-... 67 
Puerto Mexico, Ver. Street] ............d.. ee 70 
Jaltipan, Ver. Indians dressed for dancing.......2 2.2.) 73 
Jaltipan, Ver. Drum and masks used by the Indians when dancing........ 74 
Sayula, Ver. Aztee clay bowl... (10 cm, high)...22. ee UR 
Jaltipan, Ver. Drawing of Indian girl, made by Rodriguez.................... 75 
Ixhuatlan, Ver. The village: ..21.22.::.:-:4..04059 2 76 
Ixhuatlan, Ver. Idol found near the village........4..... 22 el 
Cascajal, Ver. Clay seal. (Halfsize)i2.. 20 222 78 
Coachapa, Ver.. Clay figurine. (Half size)..=.. 2 78 
Sailing vessel on the Gulf Coast... 80 
Rio Blasillo, Tab. The sloop Lupata chartered by the expedition ........ 81 
Rio Blasillo, Tab. View of.the river...........2.5... 82 
La Venta, Tab Stela oNor eis, eee eee WE ee 83 
La Venta, Tab. Rough planiof the ruins.........40 3 84 
La Venta, Tab. Stela Now 2:....200ide osc. 85 
La Venta, Tab. Detail of main figure Stela,2 22 85 
La Venta, Tab. From Headdress of main figure Stela 2.2 85 
La Venta; Tab. Small sfigureyon Stela 22g) eee ‘enieadsgs ae 85 


il 


92. 


95. 


96. 
a 
98. 
99. 


100. 


101. 
102. 
103. 
104. 
105. 
106. 
107. 
108. 
109. 
110. 
111. 
112. 
113. 


114. 


L: 
4c 


Tab. 


«nta, PAU tara aren. eer emene an ERNE, oo IIR DEA Seo 86 
ame Crtwee al. ecilbate ue lene et 8 Wi aoe ee 86 
iseventas lab, Incisedidrawing on side of Altar 3.0 )2..2.0224............ 87 
im Ont abNw. Colocdal/shead | wake ce ee ee Ae 87 
Vee MMA Sn. SUN Scone WEA ne he og) Le i Soe eae ae Ce 88 
meV CTL nao a enee Near wa tenement Se en 88 
ay etita, Lab... Large idol, mow-in Villahermosa..2-.......220..-.22.010... 89 
jam enta, Labs. Twoudols now in Villahermosa...-.2...s:-:0.<--eecc-coet- ee 90 
Frontera, Tab. Maya clay head from Las Cruses on the Usumacinta 

Leber 1 OTGST 2 LT Le lt ie” aac kes es Ae We Ee See 99 
oMaCAm aD sma vac ly vt ries eMe wet. iW aes 100 
Nacajuca, Tab. The village jail. The inscription on the wall reads: 

Bia cheOliial i ey OUTCuT aemee meme ermine. nts SORTED? ee ES ea 103 
ipmO Lm OIlalCal cowl. Winseees ees) Se teed Se hed el ge 106 
imalcnieowe ap mer brOute Ole. Veli ple ie 22s eee et ee cs 107 
Comalcaleo, Tab. Indian with poisonous snake killed at the ruins...... 108 
Comalealeo, Tab. Ground plan and section of Temple 1. Scale 1:200_..109 
Comalcaleo, Tab. Ground plan and section of Temple 2. Scale 1:200....110 
Momalcalcosel ap) remains vorethes Palace ok eee by 
Comalealco, Tab. Potsherds on the wall of the Palace.............................. Itt 
Comalealco, Tab. East wall of the standing portion of the Palace........ 112 
Comalcalco, Tab. Cross section of the standing portion of the 

Reet comm COCALO monte ere eee AU Oe ee ttt ek asec 112 
Comalcaleco, Tab. Main temple (N-1) on the Northern Plaza, 

iemvistrmls SOULMe Ti ava lig. (ls i. 2 ee eee ee 2 oe Sa I 8 113 
Comalcalco, Tab. Stucco head on brick core found upon east side 

MRT Dee miOUTIL Nel ALS 8: ek ee eam es 0 uel - 1 eee) ea ieee os 113 
Comalealeo, Tab. Professor Taracena with huge pot found by him 

in the North Plaza of the ruins. Circumference at bottom 3.40 m. 

Feat) baie Oa) Lotte ee tare Sh oe 9 ga Be coe a tere PS. oe aise epee ee ad 114 
Comalealco, Tab. Burnt bricks with incised drawing::....2-...2.1.....2.. 115 
Comalealco, Tab. Tomb showing east wall and four pillars.................... 116 
Comalcaleo, Tab. Necklace made of clam shells. Found in tomb.......... 117 
Comalcaleo, Tab. Ground plan and section of tomb. Nos. 1-9 refer 

to position of stucco figures. (Fig. 100-103, 105-110) Letters a-] 

colerdaostierogly phic. inseri ptionsm( Pigs 1040) ee) Sage eee eee ee 118 
Comalealeco, Tab. East wall of tomb showing figures 4, 5 and 6, 

ands hicroplyphiceinscriptions. 0,6, and) ti sae gee eee on 119 
Samelcatcot dl abs ylombs figs bl. sec ee ee ee ee es 120 
(Comelcales,elab.«slomb, tigw dome 2 ere ial. eee aes eee 121 
Comaleslco, Fab. “lombs fig: Gi. 4.2 ee 2 ee ee ee 122 
Comalealco, Tab. Sitaot aah inscriptions on walls of tomb........ ean! 123 
Wom~alcalco,..Cab.. Tomb offic (12.2 tee ee ne eee 124 
omaleales, lab. “Tomb, figs 2.22. 2a ee sc eee eee eee ee eee 125 
Comablealeo.Jab.. Tomb, figsy Sines es Rie, eee ee 126 
Comalealco, ab, Tomb, fig? 7.25. 2 oe ee eae ree eae 127 
Comalealeo,’ Tab.) Tomb,e figs 8 oi. ete es ee ee ee eee ee 128 
Gomalealeos ‘Tabs’ Tomb, “Lig 9. ccs. toe ek oe ee eee 129 
Hun Ahau, the Maya God of death. (from the Dresden Codex)..... .......... 132 
Comalealeo, Tab. Boy teachers, and stheir pupilas ee ee 134 
Villahermosa, Tab.. Front view of clay head in Instituto Juarez. 

(45, cnt chigh jw eee ee: evn cs tec dec ABE aes cote AnR es steam eb te eer ee ne Aan ep 138 
Villahermosa, Tab. Side view of clay head in Instituto Juarez. : 

(Same as. Fig. (113). caceccc sen algeecsen eee ea es eee 136 


115. 
TG: 
Ls 
118. 
L19. 
120. 
121. 
122. 
123. 
124. 
125. 
126. 
Laz; 
128. 
129. 


130. 
131. 
132. 
133. 


134. 
135. 


136. 


137. 
138. 


139. 


140. 
141. 
142. 
143. 
144. 
145. 
146. 
147. 
148. 
149. 
150. 


151. 
152. 
153. 
154. 
155. 


156. 


5 tie 2 


Loe 
158. 
159. 
160. 


PAGE 
Chontal * House® 2 42...2.< 2.5 -noe ee «-« ae eeeeeee en Pc ee: ee 137 
Tortuguero, ‘Tabs Map ofthe ruins} 22k eee. ee 152 
Tortuguero, ‘Tab. Stela Wee ..5.ce eee eee 153 
Tortuguero, ‘Tab. (Stela' 2° 225... eee 154 
Tortuguero, ‘Tab. \Stela’ 3 "2. ee ee ee 155 
Tortuguero, Tab. Small clay heads. found in ruins. 224. 22 155 
ZLopo: Gave; Dal me phe oes eee ee Sith dee nae a 156 
Zopo Cave, Tab. Clay cylinder No. 1. (80 cm. high).............. i. 157 
Zopo Cave, Tab. . Clay cylinder No.32) *(76sem high )2 ee 157 
Zopo Cave, Tab. Clay cylinder No. 3. (80 cm.) high)... 158 
El Retiro, Chis. Map of the ruins:2220( (2 22 rr 162 
El Retiro, Chis. Ground plan and section of the temple. Scale 1:200....163 
Palenque, Chis. Corridor of: House A in Palace Groups...) 169 
Palenque, Chis. A corner of the main court in the Palace group............ 170 
Palenque, Chis. Section of the north side of the Palace mound 
showing position of stucco masks.....22..2.4.......... iv 
Palenque, Chis. Stucco mask on north side of Palace mound___............... 171 
Palenque, Chis. Stucco ornament on west side of House B. Palace....172 
Palenque, Chis. Large limestone block carved to represent a crocodile...172 
Palenque, Chis. Ground plan of the Temple of the Sun, after 
Maudslay s¢..5letici 2 se ee 173 
Palenque, Chis. Section of the temple of the Sun, after Holmes.......... 173 
Palenque, Chis. Stucco inscription from the back wall of building 
AVIII,) Scale. 1:10... nce es. 175 
Palenque, Chis. Burial vaults to the south of the Temple of the 
Beau. Relief.) .2.00........... See ee ee Lie 
Palenque, Chis. Details of Stairway to the Temple of Inscriptions........ 178 
Palenque, Chis. Death head in stucco, from the temple west of the 
Temple. of . Inscriptions.:.2.....:..2.ee eee ee 179 
Palenque, Chis. Hieroglyphic Inscription from Temple D, of the 
North Temples. «...2..2....ch2:c..5 a... Se ee 179 
Palenque, Chis. Section of a room in Temple E, of the North Temples....179 
Palenque, Chis. Ground plan of “Templo del Conde’. Scale 1:200........ 180 
Palenque, Chis. Stucco hieroglyphs from “Templo del Conde’’................ 180 
Palenque, Chis. Plan and section of Burial S-!20 181 
Palenque, Chis. Plan and section of Burial S-2..3 2 eee 18] 
Palenque, Chis. Plans and sections of Burials S-3 and S-4_................. 182 
Palenque, Chis. Plan and section of Burial’ S-5__22. 2) 183 
Palenque, Chis. Plan and section of Burial S-6... 322. 183 
Palenque, Chis. Map of Group C and plan of House A in same group....184 
Palenque,-CGhis:. Standing stela, “La Picota’_. 24.22 185 
Palenque, Chis. Map of Group F showing position of “La Picota” 
and-aqueduet. (Scale 1:1000)._._...20. 222.02 185 
Palenque, Chis. Map of Group G_._....4...0.2).. 3 186 
Palenque, Chis. Plan of. burial north of Group E.~ Scale’ 1:100sas 186 
Palenque, Chis. Map of Group H......:)..0. 20. 187 
Palenque, Chis. Plan of structure B in Group Hj 2 eee 188 
Palenque, Chis. Plan of burial in Mound A of Group H. (Scale 
13100) ceed Ne Sl ee 188 
Palenque, Chis. Structure XXVI. Seale) 1:750.. 22 189 
Palenque, Chis. Temple between Groups’ H and Fil. gee 190 
Palenque, Chis. Tablet No. Vii.2. 222s. oe 191 
Palenque, Chis: Tablet)No.- 2) reconstructedie. =.= eee ’ ee 192 
Palenque, Chis. Tablet No: 2.ccf.ci.ceee i oecsciete ee ee 


Iv 


161. 


162. 


163. 


164. 
165. 


166. 
167. 
168. 
169. 
170. 
LAL, 
Lia. 
173. 
174. 
175. 
176. 
Rare 
178. 
179. 
180. 
181. 
182. 
183. 
184. 
185. 


186 


188. 
189. 
190. 
Mee 
192: 
193. 
194. 


P 
RGleNIgue eC his, dame ablet. No. 1) with stucco coating....0 2204-0... 
b. Tablet No. 1 after stucco coating had been 
(oh ONO Rpt Mist 8 OC ae ea Meet Cae Sia a fy td re 
Palenque, Chis. Tablet No. 3 and fragment of same tablet found 
AY MIRA 1A ae a SG 2) 2. 75 Ge AA eee ae ee 
Palenque, Chis. Painted inscription on the wall of a room in House 
POCA ACO mR RAG irs) ee)) Dent ane Ses eee eo tg ore gi fee en RES ae Jee 
EOS PALE ET aE te) TOBE OP a0 6 I anes es ae tele Se a Re eae ey ae 
Zona Sala, Chis. Clay figurine (17 cm. high) and vase (18 cm. 
EAS Mi pate Oy OT a VO ene wes Par epee, Lhe ye ae gle te in an AO hae Gute cee 
oman, Clie. Clava tiGUTInG a WitiStle ) a5. sa eco see ecb ee esse 
Patpaiise OUD As) se Ol POLIS ete creado secre oc Saeeca ed orden stew es aad. gcc 
Xupa, Chis. Ground plan and section of temple. (Scale 1:200)............ 
ponaesaia. Chis. eV iewroteCo) olite Masse. te see eae ee Ae ee ae 
ROLE: AIRS T CUS Dae) Cota Eo yeast Se apie Sse ae at et ole ese Ne ee een meme T PN eee 
Hinea Encanto,” Chis.2.2...0. POE a EE SOE 7 A EAE RE EE 
les uivlipa shiver. Clie: et esa aee vaca ee Se ee ae ys ay Se et 
Chuctiepa, Chis. 7) Plan and \sectiongot, Mound 714.22...) ct ese 
Ghacticpa,.U.Uissa) Mracments OL eStela ce 2s cet ee we Lae ee oe 
Keimctio gang. lilccee AltAt i 18s gee erie Pe era RR ede EIR 5 Se et 
Mimchepa pumice sMape Ofer iny acs. x i teen 2 cere a ee 
ST eR LSCe LOT GGL2 © ee Nay trae tee ies Ni clic Ga tel 58 go hsb, De: ak eh! 
Meas lise Plan of natural bridge “and ruins... 25.5..4.4.2...2.- 
Rembaecuisn Thewluiane. Kxpedition camp... 4.24.04 ee 
ESTE IS EERO 7 geen ee EERE Sr ete Rea, Fee veer eee a 
Piemoninaes:  iiews Ground eplan Of, Puinss2 5 ot oes. eee ce 
HicmL ligne River emerges trol a; CAVEd Saige. cesees 
Semel OS UA OOD ata, 6 ose: Sle See et Oe ee ee a 
GN. TERA TE WIR: Sa etm sient Seas URS Lege Cene MeN cae Weer Poca R ene Smee one fates 
Yoxiha, Chis. Plan and section of two burial chambers in Mound 1........ 
andeLs7, +\ oxiha, Chis... Tripod, bowl, U-4,:and.U-t-.. \. 2 a. 
CSTE A en Cie cL: en ES 4 dete oer eee ree ee 2. orseny eee, a eet | Wied Oe Se 
Wexths,.Cuis..” Eripod «bowls U-9 and, U210) 2... ee eee 
Yoxiha, Chis. Filed incisor tooth with inlay of pyrite. Full size............ 
Woche s«nis.« «Sections 6f «pottery... we ee ee 
PMasihas (Cnigns Bowls ln lOs6.5 ccc. Bae Beene ee 
Huxcmachital, Chis. A ruined templesroom i je ee eee 
Huxumachital, Chis. Plan of ruins (Scale 1:2000).................. Aa END 2:5 


203 


229 


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PREFACE 


In March, 1924, an anonymous friend of Tulane University 
created an endowment, the income from which would be used for 
the study of the Middle American countries. It was then decided 
to conduct an archaeological and ethnological investigation through 
library research and expeditions to be sent into the fields formerly 
inhabited by the most notable of the ancient population of America, 
the Maya Indians. 


Mr. Frans Blom was selected to take charge of the first expedi- 
tion, assisted by Mr. Oliver La Farge. They started from New 
Orleans on the 19th of February, 1925. The object of the expedi- 
tion was to study ancient remains, as well as the customs and 
languages of the Indians. At the same time notes were taken on 
various other subjects. 


The work was so distributed that Mr. Blom made studies of 
everything pertaining to archaeology and he also collected geo- 
graphic data. Mr. La Farge gathered material relating to the cus- 
toms and languages of the present-day Indians. 


In the following pages will be found the report of this, the First 
Tulane University Expedition to Middle America. It is based on 
the journals kept day by day throughout the expedition. The sec- 
tions on archaeology have been written by Mr. Blom and those parts 
relating to the present-day Indians, by Mr. La Farge. An attempt 
has been made to present the material in such a form that the gen- 
eral reader, unacquainted with the history of the ancient inhabitants 
of Central America, will find it interesting, and at the same time to 
uphold a standard satisfactory to the scientist. For this reason 
paragraphs describing the mythology, calendar, and customs of the 
pre-Columbian Maya have been woven into the text, forming a 
background to the discoveries made by the expedition. 


The style used by the writers is distinct, as is also the material 
they present, but as many things of interest would be lost in splitting 
it into separate publications, it was decided to make this report in 
the form of a book of travel. 


For the convenience of those searching for special information, 
a detailed index will be found at the end of the second volume. 
1 


EXPLANATIONS AND ABBREVIATIONS 


Stela —A monolith, either plain or carved. 
Plaza —A square enclosed by mounds or temples. 
Finca —A large ranch. 


Cabildo—A Municipal House. 


Tams. —State of Tamaulipas, Mexico. 
Ver. —State of Veracruz, Mexico. 
Tab. —State of Tabasco, Mexico. 


Chis. —State of Chiapas, Mexico. 


1 km.—Kilometer, equals 3,280 feet 10 inches. 
1 m. —Meter, equals 3.28 feet. 


1 cm.—Centimeter, equals .3937 inches. 


All maps and plans are made to the true north, — 


using a magnetic declination of 7° east. 


Where nothing else is indicated on the plans, 


north is always towards the top of the page. 


CHAPTER [| 


PREPARATIONS AND EQUIPMENT 


For centuries man has been interested in the deeds of his ances- 
tors. Innumerable discoveries of prehistoric objects have served to 
rouse his interest and imagination and have made him draw hasty con- 
clusions, and weave fascinating fabrics of fact interwoven with many 
threads of fancy. Giants, dwarfs, dragons, knights and fair maidens, 
inhabited planets and lost continents, were the designs in these richly- 
textured compositions. 


Today archaeologists tell stories which resemble these gaudy 
fabrics, the newspapers give much space to discoveries in all parts 
of the world, the public reads and is thrilled. Rarely, though, is it 
known what goes before a discovery. The reader pictures the ex- 
plorer stumbling on a ruined city, without realizing that training 
and careful research precede every expedition into the unknown. He 
does not see the scientist working late hours over old maps and docu- 
ments. He does not see him selecting his equipment with the great- 
est care. He does not see the toilsome days when the expedition 
fights dense forests, bad trails, and millions of insects—not for a few 
days, but week after week, month after month. 


Assyria, Babylonia, Egypt, Greece, and Rome have their his- 
torians. You learn about them in school. We can reconstruct the 
daily life of the Kgypt of three thousand years ago to the minutest 
details. One has heard something about the North American In- 
dians, but few are those who know that 1,500 to 2,000 years ago a 
civilization, the Maya, that can well be compared with those of the 
Old World, and on certain points even surpassed them, flourished 
on the American continent. 


The Spanish Conquerors and their priests wrote about the people 
they met on their hunt for gold and souls. The first modern explorer 
to visit this territory was an American, John LL. Stephens. After 
him came French, German, and British. ‘The leadership in this field 
of research again passed to America when the Peabody Museum of 
Harvard University began its work, followed by the Carnegie In- 
stitution of Washington, and now quite lately Tulane University 
of Louisiana. Each expedition has brought home material that adds 
to our knowledge of the civilizations of Ancient America. 


The general history of Egypt, Greece, and Rome has been writ- 
ten. The history of the foremost civilization of ancient America has 
3 


A, TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


not yet been written, but the day will soon come when the story of an 
American race as artistic, as scientific, and as human as most of the 
races of the Old World will be opened to those who are fascinated 
by bygone days. 

We will follow the Tulane expedition from its start to its end, 
and glean from its records a little of the history of the ancient Maya, 
the Maya country, the daily life of the Maya descendants, and the 
methods used in modern archaeological research. 


The less equipment one intends to take on a long expedition, the 
more difficult it is to get it together. This sounds paradoxical, but 
none the less it is true. When one has a long journey ahead, and 
knows that it will cover difficult trails, every piece of equipment has 
to be selected with the greatest care. Far away from towns it is 
impossible to get many things needed on an expedition which has 
archaeology and ethnography for its main purpose; everything must 
therefore be carefully considered beforehand. 


The 1925 Tulane Expedition to Middle America was carefully 
planned months ahead. A multitude of maps was consulted and 
compiled into a main expedition map. There are maps of most of 
the Middle American countries, and the greater number of them 
look well, but are remarkably inaccurate in their details. None the 
less, it is of value to compile all available data before starting. 


Books on the region were consulted, and extracts made so that 
we would have a handbook of condensed information to be used when 
far from libraries. 


_ After the route had been carefully considered, the next step was 
the selection of the equipment. We knew that, for the greater part 
of our journey, we should have to depend on horse or mule trans- 
portation, and that we should have to cross tropical forests where 
there is an abundance of trees, but no grass on which to feed the 
animals. We also knew that there would be steep mountains to 
cross. Furthermore, as the expedition was planned to be a recon- 
naissance trip more than an excavation expedition, light equipment 
would be necessary. Light fibre boxes specially made for transpor- 
tation on pack animals were secured. They are called “kayaks,” and 
measure 58 cm. long x 23 cm. broad x 49 em. high. They will hold 
about 100 pounds each, two boxes being a convenient cargo for one 
animal, and one box the usual weight carried by an Indian. 


Though there were only two white men on the expedition, an 
aluminum cooking set for four persons was bought. It is always 
best to have a cooking outfit for two or three more than the party 


~ 


EQUIPMENT 9) 


numbers, to take care of guides, and visitors. Knives and forks go 
with the set, but extra knives for skinning game, etc., have to be 
provided. 


No camp cots were taken, but hammocks with specially made 
mosquito nets. These nets have a sleeve at either end through which 
the repes of the hammock run. Indian huts are built of poles and 
the forest is full of trees, so there is always a place to hang the ham- 
mock. We found sheets both cool and comfortable when our bodies 
were itching with tick bites, and they can be used as bandages in an 
emergency. A rubber wash basin also proved very convenient. 


A folding table was carried for use not so much as a dining table, 
as for a place on which to complete our field notes and water colour 
sketches. It is comparatively rare to find tables in Indian houses. 
For chairs we used our kayaks. 


No complete tent was taken along, only a fly-sheet, this proving 
sufficient for general use in covering ourselves and the cargo. There 
are usually elephant-ear leaves, or small palm leaves in the forest, 
so that in a short time one can build a shelter sufficient for a couple 
of days, even if it should rain quite hard. As it happened, the ex- 
pedition was fortunate enough not to encounter a full day’s rain as 
long as it was on the road. The trip was so planned that we would 
be well up in the mountains before the rains started in the lowlands 
along the Gulf Coast. Furthermore, this year proved very favour- 
able in that the rains were late in the highlands. 


No member of such an expedition should ever be without a com- 
pass, a snake-bite pencil, and an army emergency ration. All three 
things are carried for obvious reasons. The compass serves to find 
one’s bearings. The snake-bite pencil, which looks like a small foun- 
tain pen, contains in one end a small lancet with which to enlarge 
the wound inflicted by the snake, in the other, permanganate crystals, 
which, when smeared into the incision made with the lancet, have 
proven a potent antidote against snake bites. The army emergency 
ration contains three cakes mainly composed of chocolate, each rep- 
resenting a meal. 


For geographic reconnaissance work a Brunton pocket transit 
was used. This is a remarkable instrument, light and compact. It 
serves both as compass and clinometer. Mounted on a small camera 
tripod it gives quite accurate readings, and the person trained to use 
it can make very good traverses. As it contains a mirror, it can even 
be used when shaving. 

It is a well known fact that the ancient inhabitants of the region 


which we proposed to explore oriented the greater part of their 
buildings to the cardinal points. They knew the true north, but not 








6 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


the magnetic north. Our compasses were, therefore, corrected to 
true north, using a declination of 7° E. This declination is an aver- 
age of declinations ascertained by surveyors of several oil companies 
who have been, and in some instances still are, working in the region. 


A French barometer compensated for temperature was used for 
taking altitudes over sea level. 


We carried three watches, which were checked with each other, 
and used in combination with the barometer when observing alti- 
tudes. 


All measurements were done in the metric system. For the con- 
venience of those not conversant with this system, a table giving the 
equivalent in feet is found in Appendix X. 


In measuring buildings a 25-meter steel tape was employed, and 
larger distances were paced. All plans of ruins were drawn to scale 
on the spot. Long descriptions of arrangements and dimensions of 
buildings are tiresome, and do not give a picture of their plan to the 
reader. ‘Those who wish to study the drawings in more detail can 
easily ascertain the dimensions with the help of a graduated ruler. 


Pedometers are not reliable, so when pacing, every fifth step was 
punched on a tally. 


The smaller impedimenta used in this section of the work in- 
cluded drawing boards, rulers, protractors, water colours, and col- 
oured crayons. 


Next came the choice of photographic equipment, which should 
not be too bulky. For rough work a No. 1-A Autographic Kodak, 
Jr., with roll film and anastigmat F 7.7 130 mm. lens was used, to 
this we also had a portrait attachment. This small camera gave 
very good results, though roll film is always difficult in moist 
tropical countries, as it is apt to stick to the covering paper when 
rolled tight. 


For more special work, such as photographing monuments and 
buildings, we used a Graphix camera with a Kodak anastigmat lens, 
F .4.5, 144 inches, size 314 x 51% (post card size). Very good results 
were produced with this machine. The speed of the camera was of 
no account; all the exposures save two were made on time, with the 
use of a tripod. It was of great value to be able to focus the camera 
exactly with the help of the ground glass, and this camera is not so 
heavy and bulky as a Graflex. Pack film was used exclusively with 
this machine. The individual films in the pack lie loose between 
sheets of black paper, so that the tropical moisture is not so apt to 
damage them as with roll film. 


EQUIPMENT 7 


It is a great help to carry an instrument, put out by the Kodak 
people, with which you can tilt your camera to any desired angle. 
This is specially helpful when photographing monuments which are 
lying flat on the ground and are difficult to raise. 


Though we were able to secure a very good collection of photo- 
graphs with the two mentioned instruments, we have come to the 
conclusion that small cameras with exceptionally good lenses really 
are more serviceable than large ones. It is just as easy to make an 
enlargement from a small, sharp negative as from a larger negative. 
A small camera is much easier to handle both when on foot and on 
horseback. 


Before leaving for the field we were given a medical examina- 
tion, and this same was repeated upon our return. The first inves- 
tigation was to ascertain that we were in fit condition for a long, 
strenuous journey, and the second to find out if we had succeeded 
in collecting some interesting germs in our blood which might be of 
importance to medical students. 


A small medical kit from Burroughs, Wellcome & Co., served 
us very well. The products of this company are wonderfully com- 
pact and of high grade. We carried a large stock of quinine, which 
was chiefly used to help the Indians. 


For work in the ruins we had folding shovels, trench picks, a 114 
ton jack for lifting and turning fallen monuments, stiff brushes to 
scrub moss and lichens off the monuments, and some sheets of: tin for 
use as reflectors when photographing monuments and hieroglyphics. 
These sheets of tin were cut so that they would fit inside the kayaks. 


When selecting saddles and pack saddles it is advisable to get 
the kind commonly used in the country to be visited. The North 
American horse is larger and broader than his Central American 
brother, and the McClellan and Texas saddles are generally too 
broad for the Central American animals and are apt to damage their 
backs. We, therefore, bought saddles of the usual Mexican type. 
Muleteers are accustomed to particular types of pack saddles, and 
much annoyance and delay is avoided when the traveler buys the 
kind of pack saddle his servants are acquainted with. 


Our personal equipment was very small, consisting chiefly of 
riding breeches, flannel and linen shirts, heavy boots, and broad 
brimmed Stetson hats. For protection against rain we had native 
ponchos made of cloth covered with native rubber. ‘These are very 
practical, as they cover the entire saddle and saddle bags. 


Only a small supply of canned goods was carried for emergency 
purposes. For the greater part of the journey we lived off the 


8 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


country, buying our supplies of sugar, salt, coffee, beans, and rice 
in the villages we passed through. No firearms were carried on the 
first half of the trip, but in Palenque we purchased a small Win- 
chester .22-calibre rifle which proved to be sufficiently powerful to 
kill such food game as curasaw, wild turkey, and monkey. 


A stock of glass beads, bandanna handkerchiefs, and a collection 
of chromo prints of saints were carried for bartering with the In- 
dians, or as gifts to the more important members of the tribes with 
which we came in contact. 


Leafax notebooks were used for our field notes, and all notes 
were made with a carbon copy. Original and copy were kept in 
separate places and whenever we had a safe opportunity of sending 
out mail, the carbons were shipped home, so that if we should have 
the bad luck to lose our equipment, our field notes at least would 
be safe. 


CuHapter II 


THE START 


New Orleans was cheering the first Mardi Gras parade of the 
year 1925 when the steamer Copan on the 19th of February went 
down the river carrying the writer and the greater part of the First 
Tulane Expedition’s equipment on board. By dawn on Sunday 
morning we steamed into the mouth of the Tamesi River followed 
by eight huge oil tankers, (fig. 1) lying high on the water, as they 
were empty. We were all heading for the oil city, Tampico. Tank- 
ers steadily come and go there. They come to be filled with crude 
oil, lubricating oil, and gasoline, and Jeave for all ports of the world. 





Fic. 1—Tampico. Oil Tankers Entering Tamesi River. 


Tampico is the heart of the oil region running along the Mexican 
Gulf towards Vera Cruz. The river bank is crowded with refineries. 
Everything is oil—large islands of it float on the river, even the air 
is saturated with its stench. 


We anchored in the mouth of the river to undergo a superficial 
medical inspection, after which we proceeded to the city. A town 
grown up around oil camps is never attractive, and though millions 
and millions of dollars have gone into Tampico’s municipal treasury, 

9 


10 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


the tewn is still without paved streets and very dirty. Only where 
the foreign oil companies have built their quarters does one see well 
kept houses and gardens. 


On a large field close to the Gorgas Hospital are several ancient 
Indian mounds through some of which new roads have been cut, and 
all of them have been dug into by treasure hunters (fig. 2). Only 
a few pot sherds were found, and these did not give any indication 
as to the authors of the mounds. ‘The cross sections made in the 
mounds by the road builders show successive layers of cement floors 
about a foot apart. The mortar in the floors has been made from 
burnt oyster shells, and chiefly consists of a conglomerate of oyster 
shells with a thin smooth surface. As many as sixteen layers of 
mortar were counted in one mound. 





Fic. 2—Tampico. Mounds by the Gorgas Hospital. 


A visit was made to the famous old pot hunter, Professor William 
Niven. He has changed his residence from Mexico City to Tampico 
and here continues his eager search for antiquities. In his rooms he 
had a collection of small clay figurines, all females and of quite primi- 
tive character (fig. 3). Several of them had black paint on their 
head-dresses. Mr. Niven reported them to have been found near a 
station called Paso Vera Cruz on the railroad. 


It was carnival time in Tampico, and during the afternoon crowds 
were circulating through the streets in decorated cars, and the pave- 
ments were littered with paper streamers and confetti. On the main 
plaza sat the Public Scribes, unaffected by the gayness around them, 
typewriting love letters for illiterate Mexican swains (fig. 4). 


TAMPICO AND VERACRUZ iba 


Seme cargo was unloaded and then we proceeded to Vera Cruz, 
where the S. S. Copan was to load bananas. Again we went through 





Fic. 83—Tampico. Clay 
Figurine. (% Size). 


a cursory medical and customs inspection. Once 
outside the customs station, one is attacked by a 
swarm of carriers, all crying at the top of their 
voices and offering to carry your luggage to the 
hotel. Woe to the poor traveler who does not 
drive a careful bargain in advance! He invariably 
will be overcharged, and when he makes a row 
about it, the carrier will call in a policeman, who 
will force the traveler to pay up, and then the two 
of them, carrier and policeman, will go out in the 
street and split the dividend. 


In Vera Cruz also it was carnival time. Sun- 
shine and flowers, bright colors and gay crowds— 
everybody seemed to enjoy the peace that now 
prevails in the country. Indians were dancing in 
the streets, and decorated cars and floats moved 
slowly up and down. A shot was heard. A man 


disengaged himself from the crowd and limped over the Plaza 
towards a Red Cross station. Blood was dripping in his trail. He 














Fic. 4—Tampico. Public Scribes on the Principal Square. 


was shot through the foot. Nobody seemed to take any notice, and 
the carnival went on. 

In Mexico City it was necessary to acquire government permits 
for the work of the expedition, and various letters of introduction. 


12 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


Every department of the government with which we came in touch 
offered the University whole-hearted co-operation, and furnished the 
Expedition with letters to the State Governments, as well as to the 
Military and Civil authorities. 


Oliver La Farge joined me in Mexico City, and together we 
visited various ruins in and round the capital. 


Guided by Mrs. Zelia Nuttall, a trip was made to the ruins of 
Huexotla, where some very interesting ancient walls and foundations 
for buildings are found (fig 5). 
This is a large group of ruins. 
The top of one mound has been 
excavated. No walls of build- 
ings are on this mound, but a 
series of platforms, and Mrs. 
Nuttall suggested that it might 
have been used as a market place. 
The side of the mound has been 
washed out and shows several 
successive layers of floors with 
stone rubble and dirt between 
(fig. 6). On one of the largest 
mounds stands a beautiful old 
Spanish church, and in front of 
this is the fragment of an idol. 
The whole group of ruins lies 
along a deep baranca and along 
the edge of this a retention wall 
was. built in ancient times. Now 
the baranca is crossed by a very 
picturesque old Spanish stone 
bridge* (fig. 7). 


On the same trip we visited 





Fig. 5—Huexotla, D. F. End View of 
a mound near the large town of Ancient Wall. 


Texcoco. ‘This mound is built entirely of adobe brick covered with 
plaster (fig. 8). 


Mrs. Nuttall is widely known as an expert on the ancient history 
of Mexico, and her beautiful old Spanish home in Coyoacan is a 
meeting place for all prominent people visiting Mexico. Many are 
those who think of the garden of Casa Alvarado as one of the out- 
standing places of beauty in the Valley of Mexico, and many are 


*L. Batres. 1904. 


MEXICO CITY 13 





Fic 6—Huexotla, D. F. Section of ‘Mound Showing Various Floor Levels. 


those who have enjoyed Mrs. Nuttall’s charming hospitality. The 
garden is rich with beautiful flowers, and here and there among the 


flowers stand Aztec stone idols. 
One of the paths in the garden 
is lined on both sides with such 
idols and has wittily been christ- 
ened, “Avenida de los Hombres 
Illustres,’ The Avenue of the 
Famous Men (fig. 9). 


Much time was spent in the 
National Museum studying the 
magnificent collections of Mex- 
ican antiquities. Unfortunately, 
this collection is very badly cata- 
logued and the origin of many 
of the specimens is totally un- 
known. For example, a Mava 
stela carved in the style of the 
Usumacinta Valley stands in 
the patio of the Museum, and 
nobody knows from which an- 
cient city it came (fig. 10). 


A fragment of another stela 
carries a much weathered in- 





Fic. 7—Huexotla, D. F. Old Spanish Bridge. 


14 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 





Fic. 8—Texcoco, D. F. Section of Mound Built of Adobe Brick. 





Fic. 9—Coyoacan, D. F. The Avenue of Famous Men in the Garden of Casa Alvarado. 
















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VERACRUZ AND COCUITE 15 


scription of which only a few glyphs could be drawn, but which, 
nevertheless, seem to record the date 9-17-15-0-0 5 Ahau 8 Muan.* 


In the Hall of Monoliths are two monuments which undoubtedly 
come from the ruins of Tonina in the State of Chiapas, which will 
be discussed when describing those ruins. 


After all our letters of introduction were in order and our equip- 
ment completed, the real expedition was ready to start. By train 
we returned to Vera Cruz, 
and there our civilized 
clothes were packed and 
shipped home to New Or- 
leans. On the 12th of 
March we donned our rid- 
ing clothes and high boots 
and boarded the small train 
running southward towards 
the Isthmus of Tehuante- 
pec. The train bounced 
along on a miserable track, 
at first following the Gulf 
Coast. Out in the blue 
waters of the Gulf we got 
glimpses of the Isla de Sac- 
rificios, where the Spanish 
Conquerors found aban- 
doned temples with newly 
sacrificed victims lying on 
the altars, when they 
anchored off the coast in 
1518. 


At the station of Mader- 
5. eros, 55 kilometers from 
Fic. 10—Mexico, D. F. Maya Limestone Stela in the Yard Wera Cruz. are several large 
of the National Museum. > 
mounds, and here also starts 
the road for the Cocuite Oil Camp, where many clay figurines have 
been found. 





It is rumored that the Oil Company drilling there mistook arti- 
ficial mounds for mud volcanoes, the latter said to be good oil indi- 
cations in this region. The pottery from Cocuite is chiefly of To- 


*Glyph A-1 is erased, but is undoubtedly the Katun glyph. B-1 shows O Tun. A-2 and B-2 are O 
Uinal and O Kin respectively. The numeral to A-3 is not distinct; the glyph must be Ahau. B-3 may 
be a supplementary series glyph, and A-4 appears to be 8 Muan. In case this last reading is correct, 
this should give the above recorded date (fig. 11).—Morley, 1923, Page 263. 


16 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


tonac character. Some pieces are painted with Chapopote, as the 
Indians call asphalt (fig. 12). Mr. Ibarola, Mexican Government 
Inspector of Oil, has in his possession a very fine Totonac figurine 
found here. It is one of the few specimens where one of the well- 
known “laughing faces” of Totonac origin 

usally is seen on a complete figure (fig. 13). The 


h (comp figurine has a band around its breast and a 
rh (ox 


small apron on which are designs* (fig. 14). 


is covered with dense bush, now and then 
changing into extensive savannas. In the 
vicinity of Tierra Blanca the Oaxaca 
Mountains come in sight. Whereafter the 
train runs parallel to them, crossing inu- 
merable rivers. In several places we passed 
single mounds, or whole groups of mounds. 
Hl \ | The land is low and humid, and covered 
with dense tropical second growth, here and 

Fic. 11—Mexico, D. F. Inscription there broken by banana plantations. To 
rom ihe Natiqnl Mieu « pass the time we reviewed our knowledge 


of the National Museum. 


(1:10). of the route lying ahead of us. 


= A eG» It was a long and dreary journey, with 

im hs >= pps etal Oe train vagal g@ and jumping on a 

Wh! r( wretched track and us wondering how long 

| 4) it was going to keep on going. The country 
| 


















Ee oe 


Doorn 


ot “( 


og 
La-O y\) 
ae 


The country we were traveling through was one of the first to 
be settled by the Spanish Conquerors. These rich alluvial plains 
had good crops, and Cortez granted himself lands here. In the 
rivers around 'Tuxtepec in the mountains, which we could see to our 
right, the Indians washed gold, and paid it as tribute to the rulers 
of Mexico, who in turn were forced to deliver it to the Spaniards. 


We were headed for the volcanic moun- 
tains around San Andrés Tuxtla. Sometime 
around the year 1900 a small nephrite 
statuette was found in the Canton of the 
Tuxtlas. This object eventually drifted 
mto the National Museum at Washington, 
D. C., and there it was discovered that the 
figure was covered with hieroglyphs—Maya 
hieroglyphs at that—which opened with the 
date 8-6-2-4-17 8 Kaban 0 Kankin in 
Maya figures, later correlated with our Fic. 12—Cocuite, ver. Spindle Whorl 


; Painted with Asphalt. 
calendar to be the year 98 B. C. The so- (Full Size). 











*Professor Byron Cummings of the University of Arizona has recently made excavations at “El 
Cocuite,’’ and states that he found burials in the sides of mud volcanoes. 


THE TUXTLA REGION Li 


called Tuxtla Statuette carried nothing less than the oldest date 
recorded in writing from the whole of the American Continents.* 


Since the finding of this statuette only a few scientific expedi- 
tions have entered the area. The German archaeologist, Dr. Eduard 
Seler, has worked at Matacanela, and the Geologist, Dr. Imanuel 
Friedlaender, has studied the voleanoes of the district. There was 
a good reason for not going into the country. Constant revolutions 
had made that wild mountain region a hiding place for all kinds of 
bandits, rebels, and political refu- 
gees. These people had imposed 
brutally on the Indian tribes, 
who considered the forests their 
property and, therefore, turned 
hostile to all strangers. 


The great Maya cultural cen- 
ters lay east of the Isthmus of 
Tehuantepec. An outlying 
branch of Indians speaking a 
dialect of the Maya language is 
still found in the Huasteca, south 
of Tampico. Little is known 
about the link between these two, 
and it has long been desirable to 
investigate the re gion between 
the Maya proper and the Huas- 
teca. The lack of information 
on the area between these two 
groups of the same language, 
and the existence of the Tuxtla 
Statuette was enough to warrant 
an expedition to the Tuxtla 
Mountains. To add to this, a 
photograph of a monolith had 
recently been received at Tulane ** 1) ,Cepnite yer peng cm high). 
University —a stone monument 
carved with figures that looked somewhat like Maya glyphs. This 
photograph was sent by a Mexican engineer, Sr. Rafael de la Cerda, 
of Mexico City, who had made some explorations in the region in 
question in search of petroleum. At a place called Piedra Labrada 
he had seen some other stone monuments. 





Now we sat in the train speculating on what we would find in 
these fascinating mountains. Would we find Indians speaking a 


*Throughout this report the correlation between Maya and Christian Chronology established by Dr. 
H. J. Spinden in his book, “Reduction of Mayan Dates,” 1924, will be used. 


18 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


Maya dialect? Would we find that the figures on the monuments 
were Maya? Were there any hopes of discovering a date still older 
than the one on the Tuxtla Statuette — and what about the rebels 
and the hostile Indians? To be frank, they occupied our minds 
much less than the prospects of some archaeological discovery. 


The train stopped for a while. Something had gone wrong with 
the engine. After about an hour’s waiting we started off again, and 
finally limped into the station of Kl Burro, where we had to stop 
over for the night. The train, though, was scheduled to go on to 
Santa Lucrezia, but as the engine was out of order, it did not re- 
sume its tedious progress until about 2 o’clock in the morning. We 
were glad that we could get a room and beds, and that we did not 
have to spend the night in the mosquito-infested cars. 


The small wooden shack hotel, run 
by a Chinaman, was not bad, and 
quite clean. At table we were seated 
with Mexican cowboys, a German and 
a Chinese trader, a few passengers 
and all the crew from the train. From 
now on we would certainly be in very 
picturesque company. 





The following morning we boarded 
a small branch line train. A _ re- 
modeled box car serving as first class 
compartment, we christened the “Cat- 
tle Pullman.” The jolting was not 
as bad as the day before, but we 
moved more slowly. Right and left 
, on the track we saw mounds and at 
Fre, 14—Cocalte, Ver. Design on Idol. ~ Kilometer 17” beside the; sta;ianmaae 
Cafiada, there was quite a large group 
of mounds arranged around a court. Again at El Laurel we saw 
a mound of average size, and here it is undoubtedly that Mr. Seler 
had seen one of his stone idols. 









As we crossed the Cuautotolapdin River the Tuxtla mountains 
became visible ahead of us. The nearer we got to the mountains, 
the more hilly became the country, and the more the track wound 
in and out among the hills. Progress was very slow, and La Farge 
amused himself picking flowers from the car windows. 


About noon we finally reached our destination, San Andrés 
Tuxtla. At the bottom of a picturesque kettle-shaped valley formed 
by high volcanoes, lies a group of white houses with red tiled roofs 
and large clusters of bouainvillea hanging over the garden walls. 


SAN ANDRES TUXTLA 19 


The town is the proud owner of one Ford and a truck, has its own 
electric light plant, and a telegraph line. It has its old church, a 
nice Plaza, a market place, and all the rest of the paraphernalia be- 
longing to a good-sized Mexi- 
can town — including an army 
of about a hundred men, and 
a General. 


As a circus was expected in 
town the good citizens at once 
decided that we were part of 
the show, and all the village 
youngsters crowded around us 
as we worked our way to the 
only “Hotel,” a combination 
boarding house and cigar fac- 
tory. 





Shortly after our arrival we 

Re i Bee ne ido went in search of antiquities. 

Willing village youngsters led 

us up to the church and showed us a stone figure representing a 
frog crudely carved in voleanic rock* (fig. 15). 


We soon found that we were the great sensation of the town. 
'Men and children crowded around us and it required a struggle to 
get room enough to take photographs. ‘The crowd was, however, 
not without its uses— everybody showed himself eager to tell us 
about idols and caves. Soon we were the center of a procession 
walking towards the cemetery. Here we were shown three stone 
heads representing rabbits (fig. 16). The name of the Canton is 
Tuxtla, a Spanish corruption for the Aztec Toxtli, which means 
rabbit, and undoubtedly these rabbit heads represent some kind of 
coat of arms (fig. 17). Fried- 
laender states that these rab- 
bit heads, as well as the frog, 
all of Olivine Lava, have been 
brought from the ruins re- 
ported on the southern side of 
the Santiago volcano.t 


It is always a good plan to 
pay official visits to the town 
authorities and the chief of 
the garrison, so this was done, 
and we were assured of all Sie Ae Heads GaRERE CG fCak eT ahs, ae 





*C. Seler, 1922. Page 544, Plate 5, 2. 
7Friedlaender, 1923. Page 155. 


20 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


support. ‘Then we visited an old German school teacher, Don 
Federico Sandrock, a pleasant old gentleman who knew much about 
the surrounding country. He showed us some huge 
fossil bones found by an Indian at Xanasca near 
the town. His Mexican wife told us of imprints of 
the feet of a man, a child, and a dog on a lava 
block near San Juan los Reyes. These imprints, may 
well be of recent origin as the last eruption of the 
Fic. 17_The Aztee 9€Nn Martin volcano began with underground thun- 
De ee dering on March 2, 1798, and a serious eruption 
occurred on May 22nd. Previous eruptions had oc- 

curred in 1664 and fumaroles were reported as late as 1829.* 





All the volcanoes in the Tuxtla region are now extinct, and 
covered with vegetation. 


Close to San Andrés is a small crater lake called Laguna En- 
cantada — the Enchanted Lagoon — and the popular belief is that 
the waters of this lagoon rise during the dry season and fall during 
the wet season. , 


The Santiago Volcano is considered sacred by the Indians and, 
as already mentioned, ruins are reported on the southern side. We 
heard of groups of mounds at Tatocapan and Tula. Mr. and Mrs. 
Seler saw a colossal stone head between Los Lirios and Tres 
Zapotes.t 


At Montepio, on the Gulf Coast, some mounds are reported, and 
it is also said that here is a cave formerly used by the famous pirate, 
Lorenzillo. 


The distance between San Andrés Tuxtla and Catemaco is about 
15 kilometers over a fairly bad motor road. We loaded all our 
equipment on a truck and with a Mexican driver set out for Cate- 
maco, the last point that could be reached with mechanical trans- 
portation. About midway we passed through the tobacco planta- 
tions of Siguapan and Natacdpan, both belonging to a German 
company. At the first place were some small mounds, and at the 
latter, a group of very large mounds, some of which have been dug 
into by the owners of the plantation. The road was quite rough, 
and after many ups and downs we reached the rim of a hill range 
and came in sight of the Catemaco Lake. All around the lake tower 
voleanic mountains and odd-shaped volcanic hills are thrown, thrust, 
and flung into the landscape. Down below us lay the picturesque 
grass-roofed village on the shores of the lake and beyond the lake 





*Mozino, 1913—Robelo, Jardin de Raises, Aztequismos, Page 886—Friedlaender, 1923. 
7Seler, C., 1925, Plate V-1—Melgar, 1871, Page 104—Lelmann, 1922, Plate 38. 


CATEMACO eek 


were high, forest-clad mountains (fig. 18). We began to realize 
that we had heavy work ahead of us. We were to cross those 
mountains and find hidden archaeological cities in the forest beyond. 


Before noon we reached the town and found quarters in a Mexi- 
can house of the usual wood and adobe type, with chairs standing 
stiffly against the walls of the main room, and the walls decorated 
with polychrome almanacs and beer posters. Shortly we were served 
with a huge meal of fish from the lake and the everlasting Mexican 
“pollo,” a flattering name for an old hen. Then we went to see Mr. 
Jacob Hagmaier, the German manager of several of the tobacco 
plantations along the lake shore. He at once placed himself at our 
disposal and, thanks to his kindness and help, we succeeded in get- 
ting some excellent men for our trip through the mountains. He 





Fic. 18—Catemaco, Ver. View of Catemaco Village, the Lake and the 
Sacred Island Agaltepec. 


took us into his warehouses, where long rows of Indian girls were 
sitting on straw mats and sorting tobacco leaves into first, second, 
and third grades. ‘These grades are exported to Germany. ‘The 
fourth grade is very poor and is used for the domestic cigarettes. 
It was very interesting to see the fermenting of the tobacco, which 
reached as much as 65 centigrades (200° F.), and the pressing of 
the finished leaf in bales. 


The guide provided by Mr. Hagmaier took us to see a mound 
in the outskirts of the town, also some stone idols, one lying outside 
a house close to this mound (fig. 19). The idol probably repre- 
sents a human figure with the head knocked off. Its lower half was 
roughly chipped and served as a plug. Inside the same house was 
a small stone head with a tenon at its back, this has grotesque fea- 


22 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


tures with broad upturned lips, and ears perforated 
for ear ornaments. It undoubtedly should be ascribed 
to the 'Totonac culture (fig. 20). 


Close by, in front of another house, we saw an 
egg-shaped boulder with a face carved on it, very 
well done, and giving an impression of slight Maya 
influence (fig. 21). This idol is 
reported to come from the Tenaspi 


Island in the northern end of the 
lake. 


The patron saint of Catemaco is 

the Sefiora del Carmen and _ the 

aera riaericde ce Indians come from far away to 
svope) Leek worship on the day of this saint. 


Towards evening we went to a point north of ag 
the village and there found a small group of me 2—catemaco, Ver. 
mounds in an enclosure. From there was also a Crete ee 
very good view of the Agaltepec Island (fig. 22). eta ge 
It appeared to us that the position of this island was so central in rela- 
tion to the country surrounding the lake that some important 








Fic. 21—Catemaco, Ver. aaeieetie es Idol from Tenaspi Island. 
SO em. hig 


mounds ought to be found on it, but all our inquiries in the village 
produced only negative answers. 

Sunday morning we got a small gasoline launch and crossed the 
lake to Finca Victoria. It was gray ‘and windy and the waves were ~ 


MATACANELA 23 


quite choppy. At La Victoria on the east shore of the lake Mr. 
Hagmaier had arranged for horses, and soon we were in the saddle 
on our way to Matacanela. The trail wound steeply up a moun- 
tain side, and the lake lay like a beautiful panorama below us. Then 
we crossed a small range and rode in high forests. Gradually climb- 
ing, after about half an hour’s ride, we reached the small finca Mata- 
canela, where Seler is reported to have made excavations, though 
we have not been able to locate a description of these. 


Mrs. Seler mentions some 
stone figures, and we found 
these in front of the main house.* 
They had been brought there 
by some captain in the rebel 
army and set up very nicely, 
where they remainded until a 
few years later when some gov- 
ernment troops_arrived and 
scattered them. We found sev- 
eral stone boxes, also a few 
pieces of sculpture. Among the 
latter was another rabbit, or at 
least the fore-part of a rabbit, 
with the legs and part of the | Zeke 
body complete (fig. 23). The | ©” 
stone boxes were decorated on 
all four sides, one with some 





Rouph Plan of 
Bastern Point of 


AGALTEPEC ISLAND 


excellently carved bivalve shells 
(Pecten) and another with a 
row of circles (fig. 24). 


Estimated 
Distance- 


Some mounds lay close to the 
house, and a sculptured stone is 
reported to have tumbled down 
intomaesmalivstream close: by)  “eeee par or ae iid 
We tried to locate it, but with- 
out success. A crude stone serpent’s head lay close to a small palm hut 
(fig. 25) and with the stone boxes stood a circular stone altar on a 
base (fig. 26). All these objects have been carved out of volcanic 
rock, and they show unusual skill in the stone mason’s art. They 
look very Aztec, especially the stone box with circles, but neverthe- 
less I believe them to be connected more closely with the 'Totonac 
culture. The Aztec intrusion into this region must have been of a 
late date. 








*Seler, C., 1922. Plate V, 4. 


24 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


The different German caretakers on the plantations we visited 
were all very helpful, and one must admire the tenacity with which 
they fight the exuberant vegetation and the restless social condi- 
tions which have prevailed through 
so many years. At the time of 
our visit Mexico was calm, and it 
is earnestly to be hoped that peace 
may last, as it is a country of un- 
limited commercial and natural 
possibilities. 

By one o'clock we had returned 
to Catemaco, and after a meal we 
again set out in the launch, this 
time to investigate if our suspic- 
ions that there were monuments 
on Agaltepec Island were cor- 
rect. Mr. Habele, the owner of 
the small launch, was most enthu- 

Fic. 23—Matacanela, Ver. Rabbit’s Head siastic about the vessel. He had 

Sore ee eres built the small craft himself, and 

was very proud of its ability to stand a threatening storm. Huge 

black rainclouds were gathering along the eastern side of the lake, 

blown in from the sea through a gap in the mountains. Due to this 

gap the eastern side of the lake has a rainfall almost double of that 
on the western side. 





For a short time the small craft chopped and jumped in the 
waves, until we got in under the island. This island is crescent 
shaped, and it did not take us long to judge from its profile that it had 





Fic. 24—Matacanela, Ver. Two Stone Boxes. 


AGALTEPEC ISLAND 25 


been remodeled by man. We landed at its eastern point, and soon 
stood on the first mound. A rapid survey showed us that every 
square foot of the island had been under the hand of man. On the 
low east and west points were mounds around courts; the high cen- 
tral part had been terraced, and on its top were a series of mounds. 
In vain we search- 
ed for monuments. 
But in several 
places we found 
walls built of a 
coarse - grained 
StO lM €.o-casy to 
carve into square 
blocks, and used 
to this day by the 
inhabitants for 
their houses. 

The court on the 
eastern point was 
the most interest- 
ing. A truncated pyramid lay to the east, and from this a raised 
road led to the northeastern-most point of the island, apparently a 
ceremonial road. 'To the west of the pyramid was a court in which 
we found one stone which may have served as a monument. 





Fic. 25—Matacanela, Ver. Serpent’s Head of Stone. 


The island les in a position where it can be seen from every 
mountain pass leading into the Catemaco Basin, and it is also visi- 
ble from nearly every place on the lake shore. A more excellent 
and dominating location could hardly be found on which to build 
a place of worship. 


In between these 
visits to ruins we had 
arranged for horses and 
pack animals for our 
trip over the mountains, 
and Mr. Hagmaier’s 
help again proved val- 
uable. He placed us in 
communication with a 
Mexican, Don Juan 
Brisuefio, caretaker of 
the Cuezalapa cattle 
ranch. He was a tall, 
slow-spoken man _ who 
had gone through the Fic. 26—Matacanela, Ver. Circular Altar. 





26 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


shifting phases of many revolutions, remaining friends with fed- 
erals, rebels, and Indians — just the man we needed to help us 
get through. 


On March 16th we were at last in the saddle. Don Juan took 
the lead as we rode out of Catemaco (fig. 27), and we followed with 
saddle horses for ourselves and our chief guide, cook, and interpreter, 
Enrique Hernandez, several pack horses, and two Mexicans on foot. 
The First ‘Tulane Expedition had reached the beginning of the trail. 


We rode along the northern shore of the lake, and time after 
time Don Juan stopped his horse to tell us about the country. Large 
volcanic cones lay on our left, and we also passed two crater lakes, 
then we came in sight of Tenaspi Island, from which one of the 





Fic. 27—Catemaco, Ver. Volcanic Cone at the End of Village Street. 


idols in Catemaco is reported to come. Don Juan told us that much 
pottery was to be found there. Not far from Teotepec we saw a 
small mound with rough stone walls, and shortly afterwards Don 
Juan made us dismount and took us to a well of mineral water. It 
seems that there are several wells of this kind along the northern 
shore. The water bubbles slightly, and has a very pleasant mineral 
taste. 


Then we traversed the root of a small peninsula, and again our 
guide had something to tell. A small enclosure of sticks marked the 
place where a fleeing rebel had been shot in the back by the moun- 
tain Indians. 


THE RIDE BEGINS pegs 


When we reached the lake shore we found another mineral well, 
called Coyame, a short distance from the shore. A stone wall has 
been built around it and several dugouts lay alongside it, and some 
Indians were there filling their bottles with the water. All the in- 
habitants around the lake send for their drinking water to this 
place. 


Here the trail runs along the foot of a vertical cliff, the cliff on 
one side and the lake on the other, a favorite place for ambushes 
during many revolutions. 


At Tebanca we passed through the remains of a coffee planta- 
tion. There are now no signs of coffee bushes, and the houses lie 
in the most picturesque ruin. ‘This plantation was situated some- 
what above the lake on its eastern shore. Don Juan informed us 
that the peak of the snow-clad Orizaba volcano could be seen from 
here on a clear day. 


Finally, about 2 o’clock, we reached Cuezalapa, our destination. 
Here ended our first day’s ride and we certainly were a little stiff, 
but a drink of bush-cognac, concocted of very little water, some 
sugar and lemon, and a large amount of sugar cane rum, soon 
brought us to life again. 


The houses of the finca were in a sad state of decay caused by 
time and the shifting tides of revolution. During the evening Don 
Juan told us of the extraordinary life he has been living at this place. 
The ranch was a favorite haunt for bandits and rebels. Some nights 
they would come and stay until dawn, and a few hours later federal 
troops would arrive. Sometimes fleeing men would hide here — one 
rebel general stayed here for months curing his wounds, alone in a 
little hut, hidden away in the forest. The federal troops passed by, 
and all the time Don Juan had to be friends with everybody. “And 
when they stopped coming because of peace in the country, it was 
quite strange and lonesome,” he told us. 


We were sitting by a fire outside the house when an Indian boy 
turned up with a bow and some iron pointed arrows. We had long 
before heard that the Indians we were going to visit used bows and 
arrows, but not until now, on the verge of entering their country, 
had we seen any of them. The sight was highly suggestive. The 
mountains lay as a black silhouette against the night sky, and we 
sat wondering what lay in store for us. 








Cuapter III 


AMONG THE INDIANS OF THE TUXTLA 
MOUNTAINS 


At Cuezalapa an Indian was added to our outfit. He was armed 
with an old muzzle loader, and looked quite dangerous. We our- 
selves did not carry any firearms whatsoever, as we deemed this a 
safe course. 


Don Juan gave our guide, Enrique, his final instructions, telling 
him how to make friends with some of the worst Indians, and what 
to do about getting food for us. Then we mounted and followed 
by our host, we rode towards the forest. At the end of a long 





Fic. 28—Ocozotepec, Ver. Principal Street with the Santa Marta Mountains in the background. 


mountain spur which gradually ascended towards the heights, Don 
Juan bade us farewell, and we started our climb. Following the 
spur, we soon came onto a narrow ridge, and this we followed to the 
top. On either side of us stood dense semi-tropical forest. Here 
and there trees had fallen, leaving an opening in the thick vegeta- 
tion, through which we could look down over the mountainside. We 
made slow progress as the trail was wet and slippery, and steep as 
well. In several places we got off our horses in order to lighten their 
burden. Our boys were driving the pack animals with loud cries, 
and now and then we had to stop to readjust cargo. 


Our guide pointed out the tracks of a tapir which had crossed 
the trail, and shortly afterwards we met the first family of monkeys, 
29 


30 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


some of the amusing and inquisitive small, white-bellied spider 
monkeys. ‘The top of the pass is called the Cerro Bastonal and is 
part of a chain of voleanic cones which extends from the volcano 
Santa Marta towards the southeast and forms the western side of 
the Coatzacoalcos basin. We reached the top (1,050 meters) about 
noon and made a short stop to rest the animals and ourselves. 
About two hours later we came out of the tropical forest into 
low second-growth and open country with a corn field here and 
there, and finally about 3 o’clock we reached the village of Ocozo- 
tepec, two rows of grass-roofed huts on either side of a red earth 
ridge, the bare ridge forming the main street (fig. 28). 


Here we had our first contact with the Indians. It took some 
time to locate the chief who carries the proud title of Municipal 
President. This gentleman was not very enthusiastic about our 





Fic. 29—San Martin Mountain and Oak Forest. 


arrival, but finally quartered us in the “Municipal Office,” a grass 
thatched hut with mud walls recently built and not quite so miser- 
able as the other houses of the village. Next to the office was the 
jail and here we stored our saddles. In front of us we had the 
church, also a grass thatched house with mud walls, the largest 
building in the village. These three buildings were lying on the 
highest part of the ridge. Looking north we saw the vivid red soil 
of the village street bordered by squalid huts. Beyond were forests, 
and far away loomed up the San Martin Pajapan voleano which we 
had planned to ascend (fig. 29). 


POPOLUCA INDIANS ot 


The male part of the village of Ocozotepec crowded around us 
next morning to watch our preparations for leaving, and after much 
touching of hands—one does not shake hands here, but barely lets 
the hands touch—we finally got away. The trail ran through hilly 
country covered with open oak forest and here and there a pine. The 
ground is carpeted with grass and the soil, where it shows, has a 
deep red color (fig. 30). 


An hour and a half brought us to Soteapan, a more bleak and 
miserable place than Ocozotepec. Rebels and bandits have in turn 
had their fling at the village with fire brands, so only little was left 
of the houses. The women were sitting in the huts and the men 
were loafing around the office. 





Fic. 30—Mecayapan, Ver. The Tulane Expedition on the Trail. 


A friend of the University had advised us that the Indians of 
Sotedpan were supposed to be blonds, having faded blond hair about 
the color of drying corn silk and dirty blue eyes, and that they all 
should be at least six feet high. We found the Indians to be of 
exactly the same stature and type as those of Ocozotepec, and fur- 
thermore, that they likewise speak the Popoluca language. —The vil- 
lage cannot now contain more than about 20 families, but is un- 
doubtedly the same as the one called Xocotapa by Villa-Sefior y 
Sanchez, and at the time of his writing it contained 358 families of 
Indians.* 


*Villa-Sefior y Sanchez. 1746. Vol. I., Page 367. 


32 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


From Soteapan the trail wound more towards the northeast, and 
soon we reached the large and prosperous looking town, Mecayapan, 
a change from the last two villages. All the houses were well built 
and in the middle of the village lay an immense grass roofed church 
with adobe walls. ‘Two bronze church bells hung outside the church 
under a separate little roof (fig. 31). Women were busily engaged 
around the houses; one was spinning, turning the whorl in a basket; 
others were weaving. ‘They were dressed only in gay colored skirts 
and prettily woven belts of cotton. 


We stopped to salute the chief who was loafing outside the 
“office” and had a chat with him. Here the Indians all speak the 
Nahua tongue and they are of much better physical appearance than 
our Popoluca friends. 





Fic. 31—Mecayapan, Ver. Church and Steeple. 


Again we took the trail, which led up and down stony hills and 
over cool mountain streams, the path winding through an oak forest 
looking like a beautiful park. ‘The Guasantla river was forded and 
shortly before reaching our destination we crossed the Tesisapa and 
there found a fine hammock bridge newly made of vines slung 
across the river (fig. 832). ‘Then we rode in among the small huts 
of Tatahuicapa and up in front of the large brick church which the 
Indians had built for themselves (fig. 33). 


Rumors of our coming had preceded us, and soon the village 
chief and his council of elders turned up. ‘They took us to an old 
store behind the church, and we at once started to unpack. 


The first things to come out of our boxes were some red handker- 
chiefs and other trinkets we had brought as presents. Then after 


TATAHUICAPA 33 


some talking and explaining we invited the most prominent men of 
the town to take a little drink with us, thus establishing friendly 
relations. We told them of our wish to find old carved stone monu- 
ments, and a host of young fellows at once volunteered to show us 
one which they said was sitting on the top of the San Martin Paja- 
pan voleano. This we had heard of before. We also asked for 
guides to go to Piedra Labrada on the north side of San Martin. 
We questioned them, and the answers came slowly, but apparently 
they were friendly. 


The village has a guard, armed with some old, rusty rifles. They 
patrol during the night in order to be on the lookout for stray in- 
truders. ‘This guard also made an appearance and, as it is well to 





Fic. 32—Tatahuicapa, Ver. Hammock Bridge Made of Vines. 


be in standing with the higher powers, they also were invited to have 
a drink. 'Then the captain of this formidable army in a somewhat 
dispassionate way told us that he, about ten days before our arrival, 
had killed some Mexicans who had arrived heavily armed to seek 
shelter. These were rebels against the government and were fleeing. 
They, however, had made themselves obnoxious and the villagers 
had simply killed them. That was a fine hint. 


We unpacked our folding table.. This table, by the way, turned 
out to be one of our main drawing cards. In every Indian village 
or hut where we set it up, it caused great Joy and admiration. Then 
by the light of a storm lantern we sat down to write our field notes. 


34 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


Along the wall stood and squatted the village authorities, smoking 
and spitting, and with a small hope for another little drink slumber- 
ing in their hearts. They conversed in their own Indian (Nahua) 
language, and now and then questioned us as to what we were 
doing. One man turned up with a dozen tortillas, another with 
some eggs, as presents to the strangers. Now and then the guard 
would appear in the doorway and join in the chatting. 


Presently they started to tell us of their hardships, how one 
party of bandits after another had come plundering, burning, and 
raping, and how finally when they could stand it no longer, they 
took matters into their own hands. It seems that they had sought 
support from the Mexican authorities, but in governmental affairs 





Fic. 33—Tatahuicapa, Ver. View of the Village with the San Martin Pajapa — 
Volcano in the background. 


they are subject to the rule of the neighboring town of Pajapan, 
whose good people graft all they can from Tatahuicapa, so a strong 
enmity between the two towns, which may break out in fighting at 
any time, has resulted. 


Tatahuicapa must have at least a thousand inhabitants, and is a 
clean and peaceful place. The roofs of the houses are made of 
bunches of grass, tied closely together on rafters; the walls are of 
mud mixed with grass; and the doors are of boards. Windows seem 
to be unknown, and all doors are on the southern side of the house. 
This is the warm side, and is protected against the blast of the cold 
northern winds (fig. 34). 


INDIANS FRIENDLY 35 


We made up our minds to leave some of our equipment here 
while we rode out along the coast to Piedra Labrada, where the 
monument which was the chief object of this part of the expedition 
was supposed to be located. Then having examined that place, we 
planned to return to Tatahuicapa, and from there to ascend the 
San Martin Pajapan. 


One by one the spectators disappeared into the dark, to go 
home and tell the women about the sensational arrival of the friend- 
ly strangers. The guard passed once more, and we gave them some 
cigars with which to pass away the night. Closing the door we went 
to sleep in our hammocks. It was somewhat of a triumph for us to 
be sleeping peacefully among these Indians considered by all out- 





Fic. 34—Tatahuicapa, Ver. Indian Huts under Mango Tree. 


siders to be so warlike and unfriendly, but really a peaceful com- 
munity when left alone, and a kind people when treated the right 
way. 

The men here all wear straw hats, shirts, and long trousers of 
cotton, with sandals on their feet. 'They tend to the cornfields and 
do the hunting. Most of their time is spent in front of the office 
discussing their all-important local politics. 


The women dress in gaudy coloured striped skirts held up by 
finely woven white belts. Shoulders and breasts are naked, and as 
they are well built they certainly gave a pleasant impression, espe- 
cially the young women when they passed by our hut on their way 
to the river, walking straight and willowy with a large earthen jar 


36 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


or basket of corn on their heads (fig. 35). Many wear flowers or 
leaves as a crown in their hair. The small girl children are carried 
astride the hip of their mothers, and as soon as they can walk they 
trail along after them, always with flowers in their hair, shiny glass 
bead chains around their necks, and dressed in small skirts—an 
exact miniature of their mothers (fig. 36). The young boys run 
around stark naked. 


The town was preparing for a “fiesta,” a great celebration in 
honor of its patron saint. ‘These 
“fiestas” rarely take place with- 
out much noise and shooting of 
rockets imported from the 
Mexican towns along the Te- 
huantepec railroad. We were, 
therefore, not astonished when 
awakened about two o’clock in 
the morning by some shots, 
rockets going off to tell the 
world that Tatahuicapa would 
be celebrating before long. 


Reducing our packs to two 
cargoes, we set out the next 
morning towards the Gulf coast. 


Where the territory of Tata- 
huicapa and of Pajapan meets, 
the Indians have erected a cross, 
and this is constantly kept deco- 
rated with flowers. 


First we reached Pajapan, a 
place more sophisticated than. 
Tatahuicapa, with several 
houses built in Spanish style, 
anda huge old Spanish Colonial Fic. Ai one acer oot eee going to 
church. As we passed through | 
we, as usual, presented our respects to the chief, an old white-haired 
Indian, who looked perfectly unreliable. He glanced at our govern- 
ment papers and called for his secretary, saying that he could not 
see very well. That is the excuse always used when the good chief 
cannot read and write. 





Pajapan lies on the eastern slopes of the San Martin Pajapan 
volcano, and from the village Plaza is a fine view both of the moun- 
tain towards the west and over the Laguna de Ostiones (the Oyster 
Lagoon) in the lowlands of the Coatzacoalcos valley to the east. 


ALONG THE GULF COAST 37 


,, It was still early when we continued towards the coast. First 
we passed through a high forest and then rode out among low bush 
and grass clad hills.. We had to cross several small streams, and, 
as was to be expected, one of: the horses could not miss the chance 
of getting bogged. We pulled and pushed and at last had to un- 
Joad him. But he did not seem to want to stir until our men, and 
‘we too, for that matter, opened up on him with a shower of pro- 
fanity. That helped. 

Soon we could hear the waves 
breaking against the shore; a 
distant murmur that grew to 
thunder when we rode over a 
sand dune, and saw the Gulf 
lying before us. 


Following the sandy beach 
§| towards the west we came to a 
wall of lava projecting far out 
into the sea, and at its end lay 
an isolated rock looking like a 
sentry of lava thrown there by 
his majesty, the volcano. A 
crack leading up to the back of 
the lava stream was found, and 
we then rode along on an open 
grass plain for some time, wind- 
ing in and out in order to avoid 
large cracks in the cliff. Then 
we scrambled down again to the 
sandy beach, and followed it. 
The sun was now high, and the 
glittering white of the sea and 
sand pained our eyes. Another 
lava stream had to be crossed 
Fic. ey hen eae child carrying yt thereafter, the beach lay be- 
fore us unbroken as far as we 
‘could see. To our right lay the blue Gulf showing white teeth of 
foam-tipped rollers, tn to our left, a belt of forest out of which rose 
the volcanoes, San Martin and Santa Marta. It was a place of 
rare beauty. 





While we rode along, it entered our minds that four centuries 
ago a small band of Spaniards, some of the “Conquistadores,” had 
followed this same strip of coast going towards the east in search 
of a port where the great Captain, Cortes, could land his ships; and 


38 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


with them were some of the men of the Emperor Montezuma with 
a map of native paper “on which were painted and marked very 
true to nature, all the rivers and bays on the northern coast from 
Panuco to Tabasco, that is, for a matter of one hundred and forty 
leagues, and the river Coatzacodlcos was marked on it.”* 


Few are those who since then have followed this coast. We were 
told that here and there pirates had taken shelter, and we heard 
stories of political refugees who had taken this route. But other- 
wise, it had apparently been deserted by everybody for centuries. 


Some small rivers had to be forded, but only one of these was 
so deep that we found it necessary to place our feet on our saddle 
in order to keep dry. We were on the lookout for a trail which 
should turn inland to the settlement of Piedra Labrada, and did 
not find it until late in the afternoon. This trail was very narrow 
and its entrance well concealed. Into an opening in the bushes we 
drove our horses, and then struck a low and muddy path. ALl the 
time we had to be on the lookout for branches, and as our horses 
stuck to the edges of the trail in order to avoid the mud, we had to 
be on the alert not to get our knees smashed against the trees. 


Our guide insisted that we were now nearing the settlement, but 
we rode on for an hour and a half without seeing a sign of human 
beings. Then he gave up, and another guide, whom we had christ- 
ened “the Pope,” his name being Bonifacio, set us on another trail 
which by five o’clock brought us to all that was left of the settle- 
ment of Piedra Labrada—a few charred house posts over-grown 
with plants. Nine hours in the saddle, and then to reach an aban- 
doned and burnt settlement! 





But that was not all our trouble. Huge black clouds were 
gathering around the mountain tops; a storm was near. Hastily 
we rigged up our tent fly on three charred posts, hung up our ham- 
mocks, and set to prepare a well-earned lunch. When we climbed 
into our hammocks for rest and sleep, it had begun to rain slightly. 


The rain gathered force during the night, the tent fly sagged, 
and pools of water formed on it and started to drip on us. We 
managed to keep fairly dry, though La Farge had a fight to stop 
a small river from running down his hammock ropes. The “boys” 
huddled together under our hammocks and really had the dryest 
place in camp. 


Shortly after dawn, two of the “boys” set out in search of some 
rumored inhabitants and the third tried hard to make a fire with 
some wet wood. He finally gave this up and turned to a job which 
pleased him infinitely more—he sat quite still for an hour looking 


*Diaz, Bernal, Maudslay Edition. 


PIEDRA LABRADA 39 


at the rain water dripping from the edge of the tent into a bucket. 
This he enjoyed because if the bucket would fill he need not go 
down to the river for water. The bucket finally did fill. The rain 
started in real tropical fashion, coming down in streams. Every- 
thing was now wet, and our breakfast was perforce limited to some 
cold rice left over from the previous evening and a few slices of 
sausage. 

About half past nine our scouts returned bringing not only a 
local Indian guide, but also dry weather, so at once we packed up 
our belongings and started off for some Indian huts reported to be 
nearby. 

Before leaving our camp a photograph was made of a small 
stone idol which some of the former inhabitants had found in the 
bush and brought to this place. This idol has a human face, but is 
so crudely done and has so little character to it, that it is hard to 
place it in any particular culture. 


We had not gone very far before we reached some very well- 
kept corn fields with a trail leading through them, flanked by rows 
of pineapples. Here and there were clusters of bananas and in 
another place was a patch of sweet potatoes and calabash. It was 
apparent that the owner was a hard-working man. 


José Albino, an old Indian who spoke Popoluca, was the proud 
possessor of these corn fields, a score of pigs, eight sons, two daugh- 
ters, one son-in-law, and a kind, hard-working old Indian wife. He 
lodged us in a small corn barn with a good, solid palm-leaf roof to 
shelter us against the rain, and after a while we went over to his 
house to enjoy a good meal he had prepared for us. 


Some small low huts were clustered together in the centre of the 
cornfield. In front of them was a palm roof under which the women 
were preparing the food (see fig. 
49), and behind them was a pig sty 
where the prides of the family were 
kept. 

The old lady of the house served 
us with eggs, coffee, and hot tortil- 
las. The corn for the latter we had Fic. 27—Piedra Labrada, Ver. Ancient 
seen her grind on an old metate, or 
Indian grinding stone, which had been found in the forest near the 
ruins we were in search of. This grinding stone was quite elaborate 
with the high leg at its upper end carved as shown in the accom- 
panying drawing (fig. 37). 





40 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


The Indians insist that these grinding stones found in the 
‘ground are far superior to those manufactured today, as they are 
of a better grain, and the corn, therefore, can be ground much 
finer on them. 


The preparation of the corn for grinding and subsequent baking 
into tortillas is done in the following way. First the corn is boiled 
in water containing lime, whereby it swells up. Then this swollen 
corn is taken to the river where the lime is washed out by sieving 
‘the corn in a basket. Well cleaned in this way it is laid on the grind- 
ing stone. ‘The person grinding stands at the higher end of the 
stone, and grinds by pressing and rolling a cylindrical stone pestle 
over the corn. This operation is repeated many times until the 
dough has the desired fineness. Then the dough is flattened out in 
the hand to make thin cakes varying in size according to the custom 
of the district, and laid over a clay disk resting on the three stones 
of the fireplace. The tortilla is baked on both sides, and is then 
ready for eating. These tortillas are the principal food of the 
Indians. ‘To make them is a slow process and hard work. The In- 
dian women spend, it appears, two thirds of their time in front of 
the metate preparing tortillas for the household. 


After our meal we at once set. out for the reported monuments. 
One of the sons of the house took it upon himself to guide us to 
them. ‘They were there, to our great relief. 


Through the forest and across a small stream, the Xuichapa, we 
came out in a clearing, and soon discovered that this clearing re- 
cently had been used as a pasture for cattle. It was infested with 
ticks, and before long we were covered with these pests. Walking 
along we would brush them off the smaller bushes onto our clothes, 
and these insects, as large as the head of a pin, at once started for 
every opening in our clothes in order to get at us. 


On a slope facing towards the sea were several artificial mounds, 
and between two of these we at last came across the monument we 
were in search of. The information we had received from Mr. La 
Cerda, the Mexican engineer friend, who first drew our attention to 
this stone, proved correct. It was well carved, and around it lay 
several other carved stones. The principal monument, Stela 1, was 
a monolith, 2.02 meters long, the lower 18 c.m. of which was shaped 
into a plug. ‘This plug fitted a nearly circular hole in a square 
stone tablet lying close to the Stela. Undoubtedly the monument 
once stood upright, the square stone forming the base. The Stela 
was an average of 35 c.m. broad, and on its front were a series of 
carvings. At first sight they looked Maya, but a closer investiga- 
tion proved them not to be so. The best description of this monu- 


PIEDRA LABRADA RUINS 41 


ment is the attached drawing. To. this only 
shall be added that above what resembles 
the Maya glyph Pax is a bar with two 
dots underneath, and over this bar is a con- 
ventionalized head of some monster seen 
fully “en face” and over this a scroll. The 
monument has plain sides and back and is 
carved out of hard voleanic rock, as are the 
other monuments in this place (fig. 38). 


To state definitely to what culture this 
monument belongs is difficult. The carv- 
ing in the hard rock is so skilfully done 
that it might be made by the Totonacs but, 
search as we may, we have not been able 
to find any similar design with which to 
compare and classify our discovery.* 


Close to this Stela lies the base, a square 
block 1.04 x 1.23 x 0.55 meters, with an 
approximately circular cavity in the centre, 
45 c.m. across and 35 c.m. deep. 


A few paces from these stones is a small 
stone basin, broken, and a small crouching 
stone Jaguar with its head gone, and at the 
foot of a mound is a large metate, likewise 
with an animal head and its legs doubled 
up under it. (1 meter long and 23 c.m. 


high). (fig. 39). 


On the top of the small mound are 
charred house posts of a recent dwelling. 


It was agony to draw and photograph 
these monuments, as hoards of ticks were 
crawling over us. We were glad when the 
ordeal was over and we could prepare to 
return to camp. But the guide had an- 
other surprise in store for us. He led us 
into the high forest again, and at the foot 
of a huge Zapote Mamey tree, he showed 
us a fragment of a female stone figure. 
This fragment was 70 cm. high, and 
Fic. 38—Piedra Labrada, Ver. | showed head and breasts of a woman. The 

Stela No. 1. ° ° : 
long hair was indicated by fine parallel 


*Recently Dr. W. Lehman, of Berlin, said that the monster head was the hieroglyph for Ieotihuacan, 
and that the monument was Toltec. 





42 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


lines down the back. The head was well carved, somewhat broader 
at bottom than top, and well rounded, giving the impression of a 
bald-headed person when seen 
from in front (fig. 40). This 
piece of sculpture is very in- 
teresting. There is something 
about it that reminds one of the 
much smaller Tuxtla Statuette, 
and it also shows similarity to 
some small green stone idols in 
various collections, as well as 
one seen by us in Comitan at 
Fig, 80—Piedra Labrada, Ver. Small grinding 4 later stage nl SOUn ieee 
Though the hieroglyphs on the 
Tuxtla Statuette are Maya, the statuette itself was executed by a 
people of another culture. 





A rough plan was made of the structures, and for a short mo- 
ment we enjoyed the view from one of the mounds over the forest 
to the blue waters of the Gulf. Then 
the itching of millions of tick bites 
drove us back to camp where we at 
once stripped and started the slow 
process of removing the insects with 
a concoction of tobacco leaves soaked 
in alcohol. The little wretches dis- 
liked this treatment and fell off, but 
left wounds which could be felt for 
some time after. 


As we woke up the next morning 
it was raining again, so we got hold 
of the son-in-law of the house and, as 
he was a little more intelligent than 
the rest of the family, we succeeded — 
in getting a short list of words of his 
language. The settlement here is a 
Popoluca outpost. The inhabitants 
migrated to this place in the old man’s 
time from Ocotal Grande. 





Our informant was very ill. He = 4? site Labrada, Ver. epee ingen 
could not be more than 28, but looked 
35 to 40 years old, and walked with difficulty; his limbs were thin 


and withered, and he could not eat without becoming nauseated and 
vomiting. 


RETURN TO TATAHUICAPA 43 


Our house stood on a small mound, and great quantities of 
sherds lay scattered about, but not one with incised drawings or 
paintings on it to give us a clue as to origins. The cornfield itself 
was very well kept, and so clean that it could be planted three times 
without re-cleaning. The stalks of the first growth lay bent down 
to the ground, and the second planting stood high. 


By ten o’clock the rain had entirely stopped, so after having pre- 
sented our hosts with some small trinkets and a beautiful chromo 
print of a saint, we bade farewell. We were to return not by the 
beach, but by what was said to be a much shorter way through the 
forests, passing between the volcanoes of San Martin and Santa 
Marta. 


One of our men went ahead to find a local guide, and after some 
time he returned advising that the guide would meet us along the 
trail. We stopped at the given point, and while we were waiting 
the rain started again with full force. For one-half of an hour we 
sat patiently in our saddles, and meanwhile our guide was waiting 
just as peacefully a few hundred meters further up the trail. We 
found our new guide sitting on a log. He was dressed in a much 
torn cotton shirt, and the pants of the same material rolled up well 
above his knees. An old torn straw hat and a home-made cigar 
completed his costume. 


During the morning we forded several rivers, now quite full 
after the recent rains, and then we started up hill. Possibly this 
trail was shorter as the crow flies, but the trail along the beach had 
the advantage of being horizontal for its greatest part. The trail 
was vertical, up and down the walls of cafions with cool mountain 
streams at their bottoms. 


There have long been rumors of gold in the San Martin moun- 
tains, though we were not able to trace them down. In several 
places there are, on the other hand, large indications of oil in form 
of asphalt seepages, also there are springs of sulphur water, and 
deposits of sulphur. Cinnabar is also said to be abundant.* 


The occurrence of cinnabar is of interest to the archaeologist, as 
it was highly treasured by the ancient Maya, and was often used as 
offerings in burials. 


Well into the afternoon we reached the highest point (600 
meters) and there found two trails, one leading off to the south- 
east to Ocotal Grande, and the other more to the north and north- 
east through Encinal Amarillo to Tatahuicdpa. Just before reach- 





*Williams, 1852. 


4A, TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


ing the first mentioned place, we came across a man and four boys 
well armed with bows and arrows. ‘They were cleaning a curassow 
they had just shot. 


Encinal Amarillo is a cluster of falling huts, all very poor look- 
ing and dirty, and, as far as we could see, only inhabited by old 
shriveled-up, half naked women and totally naked children. 


Just as it was getting dark we came in sight of Tatahuicapa. 
Crossing the river we scattered a crowd of lightly clad women who 
were chatting around the public washing and gossiping place—the 
local newspaper. We rode up to the “Oficina” and were heartily 
welcomed by our friends, the chief and the armed guard. 


Hungry? Indeed we were, after a day’s ride without a bit of 
food, but first we attended to our tired animals. ‘Then our diplo- 
matic agent, Mr. Demijon, showed himself, much to the joy of our 
Indian friends. Everybody had a drink, and we at last sat down 
to a hearty meal. | 


In Latin America, like everywhere else, it is important to know 
the right people. In some places these are senators bankers, and 
other big men; but in Southern Mexico the best people are some- 
times men with loose guns and knives, or bad Indian chiefs. If 
one from the beginning gets hold of the right man, everything 
is easy. So with our trip—from the start we got hold of one man 
who was friends with all the leading elements around, and, thanks 
to his direction, we went through without any trouble. 


To climb the San Martin Pajapan volcano was our next objec- 
tive. Guides were procured in Tatahuicapa, and we left the village 
on horseback. But after an hour’s ride we were forced to tie our 
horses near a small Indian coffee plantation, and then proceed on 
foot. The Indians grow a little coffee which they carry over the 
mountains and trade in Catemaco. 


We now left the trail and entered the forest, climbing at an 
easy grade until we reached a small stream at an altitude of 506 
meters. Here, our guide told us, was the last place where we could 
get a drink of water before we started the real ascent. In this part 
of the forest every rock and stick was covered with some sort of 
white larvae the size of one’s little finger. ‘There were hundreds of 
thousands of these, and we wondered what kind, of plague they 
represented. 


The underbrush was dense with small palms with thorny trunks, 
but as we reached higher altitudes they disappeared. 'The trail was 
very steep. The path followed a narrow ridge, and we saw very 
little outcropping rock. ‘The ground was covered with fine, rich, 


IDOL ON SAN MARTIN 45 


black soil. As we neared the top the trees grew short and wind- 
beaten, and their branches were covered with moss. Up to the very 
top the mountain is covered with forest, which indicates that it must 
be a very long time since the crater was active. The top has two 
peaks, and on the highest point of the southernmost of these we 
found a big stone boulder marked with the number 1211. This num- 
ber was carved in the rock by a Mexican engineer, Ismael Loya, who 
made a survey of this area in 1897. ‘The number stands for the alti- 
tude of the mountain, 1211 meters. 


Loya was the first one to see the idol on the mountain top, and 
he told the writer in 1922 that he had removed this idol a short dis- 
tance in order to use it as a 
corner mark for his survey. In 
doing so, he broke the arms of 
the image. Before having 
broken it, though, he made a 
drawing of it which is shown 
in figure 41. Under the figure 
a small pit was found in which 
stood some pieces of pottery 
containing various small ob- 
jects of jade. Mr. Loya had 
given all these away but one, 
which is a small piece of light 
green jade carved in the form 
of a rattlesnake. 


The idol is squatting and 
according to Loya’s drawing, 
holds a bar horizontally with 
Fic. 41—San Martin Pajapan, Ver. Drawing of Idol both hands, its body leaning 

meee nostcloyern isete be forward. Arms, feet, and the 
bar have disappeared, and the 
face is badly mutilated. The total height of the figure is 1.35 
meters, of which 57 c.m. is taken up by the head-dress. The head 
is well carved and has large plugs in the ears. The head-dress is 
very elaborate. On its front is a face with slanting eyes, a small 
broad nose, and a downward curved mouth with a broad flaring 
upper lip. This face resembles a jade head now in the National 
Museum of Mexico City. Over this is a kind of small hat, the top 
of which appears to have been broken off. Seen from the side, the 
head-dress shows a band with some figures that may represent a 
conventionalized rattlesnake, and over this band are feathers (figs. 
42 and 43). 





46 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


This monument stands on a small level in the saddle between the 
two highest peaks of the crater rim. It may represent a fire or 
mountain god. For the time being we would not venture to ascribe 
it definitely to any culture. 


Clouds had gathered around the mountain top and it was rain- 
ing slightly while we were working with this monument, but when 
we started our descent the 
wind tore a momentary 
rift in the clouds and we 
got a most magnificent 
view of the Coatzacodalcos 
basin, with the town of 
Pajadpan and the Laguna 
de los Ostiones in the fore- 
ground, and a glimpse of 
the Chiapas mountains far 
away to the southeast. 


Our old guide was 
searching the landscape 
for his dear “pueblo.” It 
is remarkable to note how 
these people are attached 
to their home towns. It 
is the first and last to 
them; the fate of the coun- 





tj, try as a whole does not 
concern them. 

vag The descent was not so 

Ur J bad as we had expected, 

wee UY; fil though in some places we 

tite ‘ were sliding rather than 

Cs teas walking downwards. A 

eal family of monkeys fol- 

\ lowed us for a while, 

\ jumping from one tree top 

to another. 
Te Sa eT aia, ake ag it now etaude | tnaemiae Returning to Tatahui- 


capa we found everybody 
busily engaged in preparing for a fiesta. Hunters were out to kill 
deer in the forests, pigs were being slaughtered, and boys came in 
with bundles of fire wood. The women were gathered in groups of 
fifty or sixty in different parts of the aioe Sheltered by light 
structures built of palm leaves, they were grinding corn, baking 


TATAHUICAPA 47 


tortillas, and cooking other food. Chatting was in lively progress. 
Some women were carrying water, children were playing around, 
and in the background some of the elder men were watching the 
behaviour of the gay youngsters. The colours of the women’s skirts 
and belts, their bronze bodies and their black hair adorned with 
flowers made an excellent picture. 


We walked from group to group watching the work, and were 
able to persuade the Indians to sell us some of their bows and arrows 
as well as some samples of the textiles made in the village. 


Our chief “boy,” Enrique, gave an amusing description of how 
he had seen a group of about 
twenty Indians hauling at a 
rope trying to throw a bull. 
The bull jumped about, the 
rope broke, and the twenty 
Indians fell on top of each 
other with much noise and 
laughter. 


The Indians were much in- 
terested in our photographing 
and we were requested by the 
elders to take some pictures of 
the village saint. This could 
not be done in the dark inte- 
rior of the church, so the saint 
was moved to the door, which 
called for much ceremony and 
drumming. Several Indians N 
were beating wooden drums Bagg 
made out of hollow logs cov- FR 
ered with deer skin. ‘Those gg 
romecre. carrying thei Saint," eae ee a 
never touched it directly with “““ "" “top of the mountain, 
their hands, but used a cloth 
when handling the image. They set the saint on a table and deco- 
rated it with natural and paper flowers; whereafter we took his 


photograph. (See fig. 52.) 





Our friends were urging us to stay for the fiesta, but unfortu- 
nately we were not able to do so. We packed our animals and left 
these friendly “bloodthirsty” Indians, who had treated us with so 
much kindness. 


A broad trail leads to Chinameca, a station on the Tehuantepec 
railroad, but unfortunately there is also a broad trail leading to 


48 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


some of the Indian corn fields. We took the wrong trail which cost 
us two hours delay and forced us to ride very hard in order to reach 
Chinameca in time for the daily train to Puerto Mexico. 


All along the road we met parties of Indians on their way to 
the fiesta in Tatahuicapa, the men generally riding and the women | 
trotting behind carrying baskets and bundles. A little procession 
of Indians, in all seven or eight men, all of whom had had several 
drinks for breakfast, stopped on the roadside at one point, and 
every one of them insisted on shaking hands with us. As we rode 
along the line, we bent over from our horses and shook hands with 
each and every one of them, wishing them a pleasant fiesta. 


We were now down on the lowlands, in the Coatzacoaleos basin. 
Within sight of the station, and right in the main street of China- 
meca, our rush to catch the train was stopped by one of the pack 
horses running into a mud hole and getting bogged. The delay was 
irritating, but had no serious results. We had to unload, and haul 
and pull the poor animal before we got it out, but reached the sta- 
tion with just time enough to pay off our boys and check our bag- 
gage. Late that afternoon we reached the town of Puerto Mexico. 


~CwHaptTer [TV 


OBSERVATIONS OF THE INDIANS OF THE 


SAN MARTIN PAJAPAN REGION 


The San Martin Pajapan area between Lake Catemaco and the 


_ coast is cecupied almost exclusively, by Indians speaking Nahua and 
~Popoluca. The country is mountainous, rainy, and extremely fer- 


tile. The lower parts are covered with thick jungle; the higher, 


' whether from clearing or through a change in soil; are open grass 


and oak country; while the slopes of the San Martin Volcano itself 
are covered with jungle and thick woods. This growth of jungle, 


.a quantity of steep ridges and deep stream beds, and the mountain- 

ous quality of the interior have made it difficult of access and a 

' natural refuge, for which reason, probably, it has been so well pre- 
served to its original inhabitants. 


, At the time of the Conquest, Montezuma had Aztee garrisons at 
several points in this region. The Spaniards regarded it as part of 


_the province of Coatzacodlcos, and some of the Conquerors held 
land-grants in the area. Early descriptions of the area are meagre, 


and not until 1746 do we get much information about the towns and 
inhabitants. In that year, Villa-Senor y Sanchez published his 
book, ‘““Theatro Americano ” and though he deals only with 


part of the towns, he gives us some idea of the fertility and general 
Petate, Or the district, for which reason we quote him here at some 


length.* 


“CONCERNING THE JURISDICTION OF ACAYUCA 
AND ITS TOWNST 


The town of Acayuca (Acayucan) is the capital of the province of Guzacualco 
(Coatzacoalcos) at a distance of 100 leagues from the city of Mexico. It is situated 


on the northern coast, but the district starts to the southeast. Its temperature is 


warm and humid, and the land so fertile that it gives four crops of corn a year; 
and, as this has no outlet to other jurisdictions, this same abundance of crop is 
the cause of the Indians being very little energetic in working, because to make 
their fields, they only have to cut the bush and make holes in the ground with 
pointed sticks, and they do the same with beans, without using plow or any other 
implement of cultivation. Here the Alcalde Mayor lives, together with the Gov- 
ernor and Officials of the Indian republic. Its population consists of 13 families 
of Spaniards, 296 Indians, and 70 of Mestizos and Mulatos. It has a district 
church with a priest and a vicar who speaks the Mexican Janguage. This is a 

*Villa-Senor y Sanchez, 1746. Chap. XXVIII., Page 366. 

+Modern names are given in parentheses. 


49 


50 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


small number of preachers for such a backward administration and large number 
of parishioners, and some of the towns are at such distance from the principal 
town that they in many days do not have a chance of even hearing the sacred 
mystery of the mass, for which just reason it would be of service to both majesties 
to establish some mission in this province. 


“The towns pertaining to this doctrine and government are: San Pedro Xoco- 
tapa located in the hot zone on the southern slope of the San Martin Mountain at 
a distance from the principal town of eight leagues, and it contains 358 families of 
Indians; the town of Macayapa (Mecayapan) is also located on the slopes of said 
mountain, but towards one-quarter northwest, two leagues distant from the last 
mentioned town, and is inhabited by 107 families; to the east of said principal 
town at a distance of one league is the town of Santiago Zoconusco (Soconusco), 
having 295 families; the town of San Juan Olutoa lies one league to the southeast, 
and in it live 97 families; in the same direction is the town of San Miguel Thesis- 
tepec (Tesistepec) three leagues from the principal town, and having 50 families; 
and the ome named San Andres Zayultepec (Sayultepec) at a distance of two 
leagues, located between north and south, and with a population of 140 families 
of Indians; the climate of these towns is warm and humid and their trade and 
maintenance are their corn fields, beans, fruits, and rope of fibre (pita) which 
makes the best rope for general use, and has its market in many parts of this 
kingdom as substitute for the fine French twine which is brought here from 
Europe. 

“The town of San Juan Tenantitlan is a republic of Indians with a governor 
and is the principal town of the curate of Chinameca (Chinameca). It is eight 
leagues towards the east from the principal town (Acayucan), and is situated in 
the hot climate. Its population consists of 50 families of Mulatos [Mulatos Mili- 
cianos], and 32 of Indians who speak the Popoluco in which they are preached 
to by a priest of their district church, and to which doctrine and government the 
following towns belong: the one of San Francisco Menzapa at a distance of eight 
leagues to east one-quarter northeast, inhabited by 63 families of Indians; and at 
the same distance is located the town of Oteapa (Oteapa) towards the east one- 
quarter south, and in this town are 69 families; following the same direction and 
at a distance of ten leagues is the town of San Felipe Cozolcaque (Cosoleacaque) 
with 51 families; the town of San Francisco Xaltipac (Jaltipan) lies at a distance 
of six leagues towards the east of the principal town and in it live 97 families 
of Indians who trade in the same fruits as those of the principality. 


“The town of Santiago Moloacan (Moloacan), eighteen leagues from the prin- 
cipal town in direction east one-quarter southeast, is the principal of the district 
of the Ahualucos numbering 109 families of Indians including those of the town 
of Pochutla (Pochotla), which lies so close that it is only separated by the dis- 
tance covered by one shot of a musket. At a distance of eighteen leagues is situated 
the town of San Cristobal Ixhuatla (Ixhuatlan), in warm climate and with 47 
families. The town of San Francisco Ocuapa is the principal of the district of 
the Ahualulcos, is forty-three leagues distant from the principal town towards the 
south, and is inhabited by 4 families of Spaniards, 20 of Mulatos, and 20 of In- 
dians, who are preached to in the Popoluco language by a priest of the district 
church of this town, under which lies the previously mentioned town, and the one 
of San Cristobal Huimanguillo, with its suburb San Pedro Ostitan, a distance of 
five leagues towards the south from the head town, and in these two the number 
of Indian families is 66; and in the same vicinity is that of Macatepeque (Meca- 
tepec), one league towards the east with 18 families; and the one of Tecominucan, 
two leagues away following said direction and having 26 families of Indians, who 
cultivate the same fruits as those previously mentioned, and they are the only ones 


VILLA SENOR Y SANCHEZ 51 


in this jurisdiction who do, because though they have cattle and cultivate fruits 
and vegetables, it is only in accordance to the annual consumption of the inhabi- 
tants, as they, for the greater part, occupy themselves little with the cultivation 
of the ground. 


“The province suffers from the great calamity that it at certain periods is 
flooded with grasshoppers, which destroy the plants and fields in the most sad 
way, and, as no human remedy has been found for such great destruction, the 
inhabitants have sought the favor of the divine forgiveness through help of the 
most holy Virgin, miraculous in the mystery of the pure conception, whose picture 
can be seen in the head town of this district, Chinameca, whose patron saint she 
is, because she has freed the fields from these obnoxious insects, and this marvel 
has been felt because when the insects abound, they take out the holy image in 
procession, then the number of insects diminishes and the destruction which they 
cause to the fields stops. 


“This country is watered by the large river Guazacualco, which gives its name 
to the province. It runs from north to south, always running in the center of the 
province until it empties in the sea, and on its banks on each side grow trees of 
great height capable of serving as they, in fact, do for the construction of large 
ships, for which reason woods, spars, boards, and whole trunks are carried to 
Vera Cruz, and at the present moment this business is run by the Royal Hacienda. 
It is a fact that if the cutting of trees was more regular they would be more useful 
and the Bar of the Guazacualco river would be constantly protected if the town 
of Espiritu Santo would again be inhabited, but this town now is totally abandoned, 
and the name only remains of that which it once was.’’* 


At present, in the interior as at Mecayapa, mentioned by Villa- 
Sefior y Sanchez, there are no avowedly “mestizo” or non-Indian 
families to be found. 


If this description is accurate for its period, the Popoluca (‘‘Po- 
puloco”) area must have considerably diminished. Huimanguillo, 
there mentioned, is no longer in the definitely Indian territory; 
Chinameca has become a sophisticated town of the ordinary Mexi- 
can type. The Nahuatl group has been, on the whole, expanding, 
side by side with the Spanish. 


At Piedra Labrada we were told that the following towns still 
speak Popoluca: 
Ocozotepec, 
Soteapan, 
Amameloya, 
Ocotal Grande, 
Ocotal Chico, 
Aguacate, 
Cuilonia, 
Buena Vista, 
Piedra Labrada. 
These towns make a small island, or rather a group of islands, 
scattered about among Nahua-speaking and Spanish peoples. 


*Abandoned because of frequent attacks by English Pirates. 


52 -- TRIBES AND TEMPLES | 
fas SICAL Ne gtdbeeie GLB Be 


“The aie sea eines -up of the Tadias fea not appear to vary 
with the linguistic division, save that the Nahuatl groups may be a 
triflle broader in face, and heavier built than their neighbours. On 
the whole they are of good stature, estimated at about 1.65 meters 
for the men, with round heads, brachycephalic, and fairly high-bridged 
noses tending to mesorrhine with some platyrrhine. ‘The brachyceph- 
ly is emphasized by a flattening of the skull just above the forehead, 
ae in the men to the use of the tump-line from early infancy, 
causing the skull to come up ‘to a conical point in back.. | 


__ Musculature is heavy, especially in the legs (see figs. 44 and 50). 
Very small boys begin using the tump-line to carry fire-wood, ac- 








Fic. 44—Tatahuicapa, Ver. Trading for arrows with the Indians. 


customing themselves to considerable burdens, although in this re- 
spect they are not so specialized as the Tzeltal and other Chiapas 
tribes later observed, nor have they developed, as with these latter, 
a walk which, even when unburdened, suggests the burden-bearing 


habit. 


The women do not use the tump-lne, but carry loads on their 
heads, carrying a small ring of cloth for that purpose. This practice 
gives them a very straight carriage and great grace of movement. 
The large gourd borne by the woman in fig. 35 is a typical water- 
vessel, and when filled must have no small weight. 


In common with most Indians of Mexico, these are capable of 
sustained travel on foot without fatigue. A guide who accompanied 
us from Piedra Labrade to Tatahuicapa, an eight-hour trip over a 


INDIANS OF PAJAPAN 53 


very bad trail, was always ahead of the horses, obviously slowing his 
pace at times so that they might catch up, and less exhausted than 
they at the end of the day. Anyone who has travelled with Indians 
in Mexico can duplicate this experience. 


Hair-form and distribution is typical, the form being straight, 
black, and coarse, its distribution sparse on the chin and rare or 
lacking elsewhere on the body. Short, straggly beards on the chins 
of the old men may have some correlation with the more long-faced 
type; not enough bearded people were seen, however, to assure this. 


Eyes are dark brown, and fairly wide set. No marked Mongoloid 
traits were observed. 


LANGUAGE 


The Indians belong linguistically to two stocks, the Nahuatl, and 
Mixe-Zoque. The Nahuatl is predominant, being spoken probably 
by a population of several thousand. The Mixe-Zoque is repre- 
sented by one of the many dialects known in Mexico as Popoluca. 
The name is unfortunate, for the various Popolucas are unrelated; 
Berendt* says of them, “It is a grave error to consider all these dif- 
ferent . . . Popolucas as scattered parts of the same whole.” 
The nearest dialect of that name to Pajapan is Popoluca of Puebla, 
which is entirely distinct, being associated with Mixteco. 


No attempt was made to study the Nahuatl, beyond noting that 
the final 7 of the nominal ending tl was dropped off, as cuawhuit 
for cuauhitl, and that the n of the suffix pan was often omitted, 
Pajapan becoming Pajapa in daily speech. 

Lists were made of Popoluca at Ocozotepec (called teuj’ko by 
the natives), and at Piedra Labrada, which while lacking in gram- 
matical forms and very brief, supports Berendt’s* statement that 
the language belongs to the Mixe-Zoque stocks although the affilia- 
tion would appear to be more directly with Zoque, and not, as he 
said, with Mixe. Out of 145 words compared,t 85 show a recogniz- 
able lexical similarity, and root forms may be traced in many more. 
The verbalizing suffix given by de la Grasseriet and Lehmann{ as pa 
or ba, appears in a majority of the Popoluca verba as pa or pu, cor- 
responding to a general, although irregular, vowel-shift from a to uw. 


Many words have been replaced by Spanish; and elements in- 
troduced in recent times almost always have Spanish names. All 
men speak Spanish fluently, but the women ordinarily cannot. The 
native numerals only go up to seven, although we were told that 
some of the old men could count up to monyi, the Mexican tzontle. 


*Berendt, 1876. Page 9. 
+See Appendix for word-lists and more full discussion. 
tDe la Grasserie, 1898—Lehmann, 192 


54 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


The presence of a Zoque group here on the Atlantic coast is of 
considerable interest, giving support as it does to Brasseur de Bour- 
bourg’s* theory that the Mixe-Zoque people originally lived north 
and east of their present home in Oaxaca, being pushed back by the 
conquering Zapotecs. That theory offers the best explanation for 
the Pajapan dialect, on the supposition that a small group, split off 
from the main body, went north to take refuge in this mountainous 
country. 


MATERIAL CULTURE 
COSTUME. 


The men in all the villages dress in ordinary Mexican-EKuropean 
costume of cotton purchased outside. Ordinarily this consists of 
white trousers and collarless shirt, sandals, and straw sombrero of 
Jocal make, with a slightly smaller brim than that’ used by Mexicans. 
Ready-made coloured trousers and shirts are not at alluncommon. At 
Pajapan there is a store, and in the other villages traders coming 
in at fiesta times bring such goods. Their hair is worn short, and 
banged across the forehead (see fig. 44). 


The women wear skirts and sashes of their own weaving (see 
figs. 35-36). The skirts are uncut rectangles, wide enough to reach 
from the waist to the ankles, and long enough to go well around the 
body and overlap, without hampering the legs. ‘The width is ob- 
tained by sewing two strips together. These skirts are striped, 
either with broad bands of colour divided by lines, or narrow stripes 
on a coloured background, always running the long way of the cloth. 
Buff, grey, yellow, and blue predominate; red is more highly prized, 
but we were told that the red dye could only be obtained by trade. 
The other dyes are made from native plants. 


Ordinarily the women do not wear any other clothing, save in 
the towns nearest the railroad. In time of fiesta, however, they do 
wear blouses, which are bought from traders. Cheap earrings and 
necklaces, preferably rosaries are worn. 


The hair is done in two braids; on the head it is drawn tight and 
parted down the middle. Bright-coloured flowers are placed over 
the ear or worn in a chaplet by women of all ages. 


HOUSES (tek!). 


Dwellings are built with palm-roofs and stick or dirt walls, with 
a rectangular ground-plan. The essential frame-work consists of 
four uprights on which two long plates are laid, following the lines 
of the two long walls of the house. The corner-posts are often of 
very heavy, squared logs. Between the plates four cross pieces are 





*Brasseur de Bourbourg, 1859. 


- HOUSES 55 


laid, with ends projecting. From these the frame-work of a gable 
or of a hip roof is built up to the ridge pole. Thatching-poles are 
laid along this frame-work, parallel to the ground. ‘The members 
are tied together with vines (see figs. 81 and 34). 


The wall (tuk ntana) is of sticks or roughly split boards set into 
the ground and standing independent of the house. If the wall 
is to be of mud, the sticks are set about 20 centimeters apart, and 
cross-sticks are interwoven at the same interval, forming an open 
wattle. On this a mixture of mud and grass is built up. For a 
stick or board wall, the upright members are placed at an interval 
of about a centimeter, and bound together by passing long, slender 
vines in a loop around each for the length of the wall. 


The thatch is of grass bundles, from 20 to 60 centimeters thick. 
It is allowed to hang low over the eaves (see fig. 31). 


The floor is sometimes partially boarded to serve for storing corn, 
and the space over the cross pieces is often similarly made. into an 
attic, for corn or general storage. 


The fire and kitchen may be indoors, but are usually in front of 
the house, or under a wall-less shelter hard by. The metate is sup- 
ported on a low table, with legs sunk into the ground. The fire- 
place itself consists of three stones, to support the round-bottomed 
pots (see fig. 49). 


The doors face south, to get the sun, and away from the constant 
cold winds and rainstorms coming down from the volcano to north- 
ward. 


Community structures are built on the same principle as ordi- 
nary houses, with the exception of some churches. The Cabildo, or 
Town Hall, is always mud-walled, usually a little larger than the 
dwellings, and provided with windows and hinged doors (fig. 45). 
Large shelters of thatched roofs without walls are maintained for 
shade, and for the common preparation of food at fiesta times. (See 
Social Organization, fig. 51). 

The churches may be, as at Ocozotepec and Mecayapan, merely 
unusually large buildings. Whenever possible, however, they are 
tiled roofed, and occasionally, as at Tatahuicdpa, of brick and 
stucco. The plan remains a plain rectangle with a gabled or hip 
roof. At Tatahuicdpa the very simple facade shows a faint echo of 
Spanish tradition (see fig. 33). 


Near the Trans-Isthmus Railroad some attempt at decoration of 
houses was observed. At Mizapa the church, although grass-roofed, 
was white-washed, with a dull red and ochre stripe painted around 


56 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


it, floral designs on the side, and a crude facade painted on each side 
of the door. At Chacalapa several houses had stripes and floral deco- 
rations. ‘This is the most sophisticated section of the Indian country. 


WEAPONS. 


Ethnologically, a feature of unusual interest is the revival of the 
bow and arrow among a people who had almost forgotten its use. 
At the end of the Diaz régime, archery was, as with us, an amuse- 
ment for children, who made small bows of sticks, fitted probably 
with unpointed arrows. Such play outfits may be seen in many 
Indian houses today in Southern Mexico. ‘They are not much su- 
perior to the blunt-ended arrows and cotton-stringed bows sold to 
American children, although they are in more common use. About 





Fic. 45—Ocozotepec, Ver. The Municipal House. 


1910, or shortly thereafter, large groups of outlaws came into the 
Pajapan country for refuge, who immediately proceeded to take all 
fire-arms from the Indians. The latter thus found themselves not 
only defenseless in the presence of a well-armed enemy given to 
plundering their villages, but deprived of the means of hunting, an 
important factor in their food-supply. 


The Indians reverted to the bow and arrow, which, at the time 
of our arrival among them, had been developed for some fourteen 
years into a powerful weapon (fig. 47). We found here a situation 
which must in some degree re-enact the original evolution of the bow 
and arrow at the time of its first invention. In many respects these 
weapons here are unique among primitive tribes, and in each case 
the distinctive character is one of incomplete sacar eC and still 
active experimentation. 


BOWS AND ARROWS 57 


The bows (bekcin )* average 
about 1.15 meters in length, are un- 
backed, plain, with a slight tendency 
to a reverse curve. Saragossa wood is 
preferred. The fish-arrows (kaapi’’ ) 
which have a pointed, very heavy 
iron wire head, average 80 centime- 
ters in the shaft, and 50 in the head. 
Light reed shafts are preferred. 
Deer arrows, with laurel-leafed 
heads of hammered iron, are about 
60 centimeters in the shaft, with a 
head averaging 10 centimeters in 
length. Ordinarily, the arrows are 
notched. Feathers are never used 
(fig. 46). 


The unique characters to which I 
have referred occur in the complete 
lack of standardization of any part. 
The statement given above summar- 
izes the general type, and the form 
towards which the bow-makers are 
tending. At present, it may be said 
that no two bows or arrows are of 
the same length. Some bows are 
finely smoothed, rounded on one 
side, flat on the other; some are 
knotty, retain part of the bark, and 
are almost flat, or faintly convex, 
on both sides. In most cases, the 
curved side is towards the string, 
but not in all. The string itself may 
be of ixtla, hennequen, or cheap, 
commercial cord; it may be finely 
braided, two or three-strand rolled, 
or a loose, fuzzy twine. The detach- 
able end may be tied in a loop with 
a bowline or square knot, or made 











P 


: Fs we 
Zin a 
Fic. 46—San Martin Pajapan, Ver. Bows 
and Arrows. 


A 


fast with a timber hitch. The fast end is usually tied with a clove 


or timber hitch. 


The deer-arrows are fairly well standardized, probably because 
the difficulty of working the iron enforces a standard, small size of 
head. Fish arrows, on the. other hand, show the widest possible 





*“Popoluca”’ names are given. 


58 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


variation. There is no constant relation between the shaft and the 
head. The shortest observed was little over 80 centimeters in total 
length; the longest, taller than the man who sold it, and twice the 
length of his bow, was 1.75 over all. 


Ordinarily, bow-using tribes standardize their weapons very ex- 
actly in form, decoration, and either by an absolute measurement or 
by a set relation to the body of 
the archer, as we standardize 
skis. Moreover, the number of 
arrows to a set is often pre- 
scribed; as, with the Lacandone, 
a quiver must contain one arrow 
of each kind made; or, with the 
Navajo, arrows are always 
made in fours. In the Pajapan 
country there is no such specifi- 
cation. The number of arrows 
varies from one to four, and 
deer arrows may or may not be 
included. The metal used for 
these arrow-points is thick fence 
wire for the fish arrows, and old 
discarded files, bought in the 
villages by the railroad, for the 
deer arrows. These files are 
cold-hammered by the Indians 
to the desired shape. 


It would be interesting if 
the development of this weapon 
here could continue; however, 
Bis. 47—Ocozotepec. Ver. Fopotucg man showing the oming are Ta pidly: Det aise 

duced, and probably the bow 
will disappear, unless the easily-made arrow for fishing, already by 
far the more common, is retained for that use. 





The names “fish” and “deer-arrow” are taken from the Indians 
themselves. The deer-arrow, we understood, is also used in fight- 
ing, and the fish-arrow, while best adapted to shooting fishes, is cer- 
tainly put to many other uses. 


The fire arms now coming back are the usual percussion-cap, 
muzzle-loading fowling-piece, with a few bolt-action rifles provided 
by the government to assist the Indians in keeping the country free 
of refugee outlaws, which, when properly armed, they seem well 
able to do. 


MATERIAL CULTURE 59 


ARTS AND INDUSTRIES 
TEXTILES. 


The loom in use is the usual, narrow, simple type, with single 
heddle. The head stick is made fast to a branch or stick in the wall; 
the foot is fastened to the weaver (see fig. 59). Weaving is done by 
the women. This loom weaves long, narrow strips of cloth for skirts 
(see costume). Both warp and woof are handled in double strands 
of fine cotton thread. : 


The ribbed weave of 


the sashes is more intri- . 



















ZZ hag 













VES N 
? WLLL LRTI TZ REZZZEZZN N N 
cate. We did not find 5 ec eal oe 
out how it is done, or if cmmyooma eats 


a special loom is used 
(fig. 48). Looms are. 
seldom to be found in use, as weaving is only done as the cloth is 
needed. 


Fic. 48—Tatahuicapa, Ver. Drawing of Weave. 


The spindle is a stick about 18 centimeters long, with a clay 
disk near the bottom for a weight. The lower end is placed in a 
small half-gourd for spinning. 


WOOD-WORKING. 


The native mandolin, or jarana, is made by the men. In shape 
and size it resembles a ukelele, but is adapted to playing actual 
tunes. ‘Tobacco pipes are made, with very small bowls and reed 
stems. (See also the description of bows and arrows under Weapons). 
Chairs and squatting seats are made of wood. The chairs are of a 
simple European model, straight-backed, with a square seat. All 
the pieces are nicely mortised into each other, and held with wooden 
pegs or, occasionally, nails. The work is neat and well finished. 
Squatting seats are simply squared light logs, with a handle at one 
end and often concave on the under side to save weight. 


OTHER CRAFTS. 


The arrow-points mentioned under Weapons are made locally. 
The fish-arrows have for head a length of heavy iron wire, about 3 
millimeters in diameter, hammered at the end to a four-sided point. 
The head of the deer-arrow is a laurel-leaf shaped piece of iron, 
hammered out from a file, with a shank at the butt to insert in the 
end of the shaft. It is ground smooth and is fairly sharp all around. 


Pottery is undecorated and simple. The typical form is nearly 
a sphere, with a wide mouth and slight curved lip. (See pot carried 
by woman in fig. 835). Gourds are used as much or more than pots. 


60 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


Baskets are of wickerwork, with split reed warps and splint 
frames. 


Metates are ordinarily bought from stores in the outside towns, 
but old metates found buried in the neighbourhood of prehistoric 
sites are much preferred, and used whenever obtainable. Volcanic 
rock, suitable for making metates, is to be found in the area, but 
presumably the Indians prefer excavation or purchase to the toil of 
manufacture (see fig. 37). 


FOOD SUPPLY 
AGRICULTURE. 


The rich soil of the jungle sections is ordinarily used for farm- 
ing, in preference to that of the more open, grass and oak country. 





Fic. 49—Piedra Labrada, Ver. Populca Indian woman grinding corn, and 
girl baking tortillas. 


It is possible, indeed, that the open land is produced by partial ex- 
haustion of the soil due to “bonanza” methods of farming.* Aban- 
doned fields that we saw were growing up in grass and small, thick 
second growth. 


The jungle is cut, and the dead wood burned on the field, after 
such wood as may be useful is carried off. On the whole, the clear- 
ing here is neatly done, ‘the fields being fairly free of rubbish. 
The soil is prepared with a digging stick, only the top soil 


*The effects of soil depletion from Mexican Indian methods of farming are described in detail in 
0. F. Cook’s ‘Vegetation Affected by Agriculture in Central America,” 1909. 


FOOD SUPPLY 61 


being disturbed. ‘There is no plowing. Old machete blades are used 
for weeding. 


Corn is the staple crop, and to it the larger part of every field 
is given over. With it are planted beans, melons, papaya, pine- 
apples, and sweet potatoes. Gourd trees are cultivated, and a bush 
with a red fruit called in Spanish ajon, used for flavouring meats. 
Two crops of corn a year are raised except at Piedra Labrada where 
three are usual. 


Small coffee plantations are made in jungle or woods handy to 
the town, the underbrush being cleared out. 


DOMESTIC ANIMALS, 


Pigs are kept by all families for food, and also serve as scaven- 
gers. Poultry provide both meat and eggs. Keeping cattle is rare 
if not unknown. 


Besides cultivated plants and flocks, many wild fruits are eaten, 
and game, especially birds and wild pig, are important. The Indians 
hunt fish with spears, arrows, and traps in the many rivers of the 
country. 


SOCIAL ORGANIZATION 


The general governmental system is that of a Mexican district, 
with its center at Pajapan itself. The individual villages have each 
their Presidente Municipal and Secretario, elected as in any Mexi- 
can town. The feeling, however, 
is not that of belonging to the 
district as a whole, but of inde- 
pendent villages related to each 
other only in so far as their in- 
terests join, and as the local of- 
ficials at Pajapan can make their 
influence felt. 


INTER-VILLAGE RELATIONS. 


The local native garrisons, or 
“Guardias Municipales,’ main - 
tained by the government to sup- 
press banditry, occasionally serve 
also as the nucleus for village war 
parties, in the occasional disputes 
over lands or rights. Thus Tata- 
huicdpa, a town of some four 
hundred families, is sometimes Fic. btug t corer apredoiay Or Indian boy with 





62 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


hostile with its neighbour on one side, Mecayapa, because Mecayapa, 
although smaller, is the head town of the sub-district. It has also 
had fights with Pajapan, its other neighbour, over the ownership of 
a coffee plantation. 


It must not be inferred that the villages are constantly quarrel- 
ling, rather the reverse. Although the Pajapan people came and 
destroyed the Tatahuicapa brick-kiln when the latter were building 
their new church, and they, in turn, had recently possessed them- 
selves anew of the coffee land, Indians of Pajapan came freely to 
partake of the general hospitality of the Tatahuicapa fiesta. 





Fic. 51—Tatahuicapa, Ver. Women preparing tortillas for the Fiesta. 


FAMILY GROUPS. 


At Piedra Labrada we had occasion to observe a single family, 
attached to no village, whose organization, thus noted in isolation, 
may be taken as typical of the whole area. The father is the head 
of the family, and carries on business negotiations as far as they 
affect the whole. Individuals, however, have their own possessions 
and rights. One of his sons, hiring out to us, made his own bargain, 
and, in other cases, where we bought textiles woven by the women, 
either the women did the trading, or dictated the price charged by 
the men. In case of marriage, the man pays the woman’s father, in 
goods and labour. Once the marriage is completed, the new couple 
sets up its own unit independently. Between such separate groups 

_ the ties are very much the same as those between related families 


SOCIAL ORGANIZATION 63 


among ourselves, with, perhaps, less recognition of the influence of 
the original head of the family. 


The men work in the fields, cut wood, hunt, and take a hand in 
shelling and stacking corn. Women also work in the fields and cut 
wood, but their chief care is the house and the kitchen, drawing 
water, grinding corn, and weaving. 





Fic. 52—Tatahuicapa, Ver. The Village Saint, San Isidro. 


COMMUNITY PROPERTY AND LABOUR. 


Ownership is individual in all smaller things. Land, however, 
forms of labour which affect the village as a whole, and property 
connected with religion are common. ‘The village land has been 
allotted to it originally by the government, individuals hold parcels 
so long as they occupy or cultivate them. Fighting the present 


64 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


plague of grasshoppers, and occasionally the clearing of large new 
areas are undertaken co-operatively. 


At the time of a fiesta, food must be prepared for the whole 
village and a tremendous number of guests. This is done by all the 
women, working together under big sheds maintained for that pur- 
pose (fig. 51). The village of 'Tatahuicdpa owned a bull, which was 
killed on the day of the fiesta for distribution to all guests and to 
the village. Evidently this was not an old custom, at least in this 
form, for none of the men in the village knew how to slaughter the 
animal, and one of our men had to do it for them. 





Fic. 53—Ocozotepec, Ver. Indians beating drums in honor of their Saint. 


RELIGION 


All the Indians of San Martin Pajapan are Christian im doc- 
trine. In each village the church, always the most important build- 
ing, houses the patron saints (fig. 52). Near to it are lodgings kept 
for the occasional visits of the priest. These visits, and the Saint’s 
Day of the town, are the occasion for fiestas, a combination of 
ceremony and celebration. Drumming, music of flutes, jaranas, and 
various foreign instruments, such as mouth-organs, accompanied by 
rattles, begin sometime before the fiesta proper. Dancing is done 
before the saint, as a rite, and generally as an amusement. Often, 
as at Ocozotepec, the image, there a Virgin, is moved out into a 
bower of green branches hung with streamers (fig. 53). Whenever 
the saint moves, whatsoever the occasion, drums must be rolled, as 


RELIGION 65 


when the saints and altar were brought forward for us to photo- 
graph at Tatahuicapa. Aguardiente is brought in from the Mexi- 
can towns for the fiesta, and a supply of rockets which are set off 
all during the period. General hospitality is extended to all comers. 


The visit of the Priest is occasion for baptisms, confession, and 
mass. ‘The photographs of the saints at Tatahuicapa were wanted 
for affixing tp pardons to be made out by him. The priest is main- 
tained by the village during his stay. 


At this time the doorway of the church and the priest’s house 
are decorated with palms. The inside of the church is hung with 
palms, streamers, coloured paper, and flowers. 





CHAPTER LV 


THE COATZACOALCOS BASIN 


In the earliest reports of the Conquerors we find mention of the 
Coatzacoalcos River. Grijalva passed the mouth of the river, and 
Bernal Diaz speaks of it as follows: “As we sailed along we noted 
the position of the great river, Coatzacodlcos, and we wished to en- 
ter the bay (not merely) to see what it was like, but because the 
weather was unfavourable. Soon we came in sight of the great snow 
mountains which have snow on them all the year around, and we 





Fic. 54—Puerto Mexico, Ver. The mouth of the Coatzacoalcos River. 


saw other mountains near the sea which we called the range of San 
Martin, and we gave it that name because the first man to see them 
was a soldier from Havana who had come with us, named San 
Martin.’’* 


The snow clad mountains here mentioned are undoubtedly the 
peak of Orizaba, which can sometimes be seen from the sea, and the 
San Martin mountains are those which the Tulane Expedition had 
just traversed. 


Later, when Hernan Cortes had arrived at Tenochtitlan, we 
again hear of the river. He was looking for a port more favourable 


*Bernal Diaz. Maudslay translation. Vol. I., Page 50. 
67 


68 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


than the anchorage off the coast at Vera Cruz and men were sent 
along the coast guided by Indians, and with a map drawn on agave 
cloth. The leader of this expedition was Diego de Ordaz. They 
followed the coast until they reached the mouth of the Coatzacodlcos 
without finding any other suitable port. Montezuma had told Cortes 
that he did not reign over the tribes living along the river, and he 
gave an order to the chieftain of his garrison somewhere near it to 
aid the Spaniards as much as possible. 


When Ordaz reached the river the local chieftain, 'Tuchintecla, 
gave the Spanish explorers canoes so that they could make sound- 
ings (fig. 54). “They found the shallowest part at its mouth, 214 
fathoms in depth, and 12 leagues up the river they found the great- 
est depth of 5 or 6 fathoms. From their observations they judged 
it had about the same depth for 30 leagues up from its mouth. On 
its banks are many large towns with an innumerable population, 
and all the province is level, and rich, and abundant in produce.”* 


Bernal Diaz further writes: “When Ordaz had taken the sound- 
ings he went with the Caciques (chieftains) to the town, and they 
gave him some jewels of gold and a very beautiful Indian woman 
and they offered themselves as servants of his majesty, and they 
complained of Moctezuma and some of his warriors.” + 


A little further in the same narrative it is told how the inhabit- 
ants fought the Mexicans and killed many of them. ‘The place 
where this battle was fought they called Cuylonemiquis, which in 
their language means “where they killed the Mexican profligates.” 
This may be the place named “Cuilonia” today? 


Still later, Cortes sent another expedition to the Isthmus and 
Bernal Diaz joined this. Now the Spaniards found the natives 
hostile to them. The ill feeling resulted in a battle, in which the 
leader of the Spaniards surprized the principal town at night, and 
seized a woman “to whom all in those parts obeyed and everything 
quieted because she sent to call the chiefs and ordered them to ob- 
serve whatever was commanded them.” The Spaniards then founded 
the town of Espiritu Santo, and many of the Conquerors received 
grants of land along the river. 


From Bernal Diaz’s accounts we constantly hear of fighting with 
the natives in the district, and also that Dona Catalina Suarez, the 
wife of Cortes, landed on the coast in a place called Ayagualulco, 
and passed through Espiritu Santo on her way to the capital. 


The old soldier, Bernal, finally grew tired of fighting and wanted 
to settle down on his properties, but the Indians did not leave him 


*Cortes’ Second Letter. Edition MacNutt, 1908. Page 245. 
+Bernal Diaz. Maudslay translation. Vol. II., Page 132. 


ISTHMUS OF TEHUANTEPEC 69 


alone. In one of the fights against them he was wounded in the 
throat by an arrow; then he got orders to join Louis Martin on an 
expedition to Chiapas, where he underwent more hard fighting. 
Finally in November, 1524, Cortes came to Espiritu Santo on his 
way to Naco, in Honduras, and he ordered Bernal Diaz to join him. 


This is all the early information we have about the Coatzacodlcos 
basin. Up until around the year 1800 we hear little about it. Hum- 
boldt states that the climate of the area is very unhealthful.* 


In 1829 and 1830, several ships left France with colonists for 
Coatzacodleos. They had been tempted by a get-rich-quick scheme 
which quickly broke down. Another ship left in 1831, and one of 
the participants in this expedition, Pau Pierre Charpenne, tells 
us about the total failure of this colonization scheme. Most of 
the French colonists died from fever and several of them committed 
suicide. Now only a few place names remind one of the struggles 
and hardships these people went through.t 


Cortes was the first to propose a communication between the 
Atlantic and the Pacific by way of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. 
After him came, in 1774, a reconnaissance for a road made by the 
engineer, August Cramer, in the times of the Viceroy, Antonio 
Bucareli. 


In 1842 a contract was made between the Mexican Government 
and the Louisiana-Tehuantepec Railroad Company for a steamship 
line from New Orleans to Minatitlan and a service of coaches over 
the Isthmus. This road was much used during the California Gold 
Rush in 1849, and many were the eager gold hunters who died here 
of fever, on their way to the promised land. 


The Louisiana Company did not fulfill its contract, and pro- 
longed discussion followed between it and the Mexican Govern- 
ment, resulting in a new contract of 1852. 


The famous Americanists, L’Abbé Brasseur de Bourbourg, 
crossed the Isthmus in 1859-60. He has not much good to say for 
the way in which the American company managed the transporta- 
tion. In his book on this voyage he gives a charming report of his 
experiences, and also a large amount of interesting historical data.§ 


A more serious study of the Isthmus was made by the U. S. 
Government engineers, at the direction of the Secretary of the 
Navy in 1870. This survey was conducted in order to see if it was 
practicable to make a ship canal from coast to coast. Various 
methods of crossing the higher points of the Isthmus were proposed, 





*Traite Politique de M. de Humboldt sur la Nouvelle-Espagne, 1811. 
+Charpenne, 1836. : 
tWilliams, 1852. Supremo Gobierno, 1853. Ramirez, J. F., 1853. 
§Brasseur de Bourbourg, 1862. 


70 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


such as locks, hauling the ships over on tracks, and a tunnel through 
the mountains. A very instructive report with many maps and 
cross sections were presented to the Senate, but no definite steps 
were ever taken to execute this plan.* 


Finally, around the year 1900, a railroad was run across the 
Isthmus, and a few years later a British firm built huge port works 
at the mouth of the Coatzacoalcos on the Atlantic side and at Salina 
Cruz on the Pacific side. For a few years an enormous quantity of 
merchandise was hauled over this road. Coatzacodlcos, formerly a 
settlement of a few Indian huts, grew into a town and was named 
Puerto Mexico (figG5)tue Une 
revolution against President 
Diaz was a blow to this project 
and. finally the opening of the 
Panama Canal entirely killed it. 
Now the magnificent wharves 
at Puerto Mexico are rotting 
away, and the Pacific Ocean is 
building a bar of sand across 
the mouth of the port of Salina 
Cruz. 


The northern part of the 
Isthmus of Tehuantepec is wa- 
tered by the Coatzacoalcos river 
and its numerous tributaries. 
The climate is sub-tropical, the 
year being divided into two sea- 
sons: a rainy season from June 
to the middle of December, and 
a so-called dry season, during 
which small. showers are fre- 
quent. During the months of 
October and November, strong northern winds, called “Northers,” 
bringing cold and heavy downpour, occur several times a month. 





Fic. 55—Puerto Mexico, Ver. Street. 


The whole Isthmus is low and swampy, cut by many rivers and 
dotted with lagoons. The ground is covered with thick, luxuriant, 
tropical bush, here and there alternating with open savannas. The 
soil is, for the most part, very rich, though only sparsely cultivated. 
It is said that some places will give as much as three crops a year. 


The town, Minatitlan, was originally the port, exporting ma- 
hogany. When oil was found in the region, and a refinery built, the 
town gained new life. Puerto Mexico now has tank farms and is 


*Schufeldt, 1872. 


MALINCHE 71 


the shipping point for the oil refined at Minatitlin. Though exten- 
sive drilling has been conducted, no great quantities of oil have yet 
been found in this district. All wells seem to produce small quanti- 
ties of paraffin base oil of very high grade. 


Formerly mahogany grew in great quantities along the river 
bank, but cutting was so thorough that now it is rare to see a ma- 
hogany tree. 


The Spanish and Mexican population reside in towns, and there 
are also several large Indian villages, though a great part of the 
population lives scattered in clusters of small huts along the river 


banks. 


As the archaeological and ethnological material of this area has 
never been collected, we will give some extracts of notes made by 
the writer during his stay in the Isthmus in 1920-21. 


Mr. Ismael Loya has already been mentioned as the one who 
first ascended the San Martin Pajapan volcano. He formerly lived 
in the small town, Jaltipan de Morelos, on the Tehuantepec railroad. 
Having traveled widely over the area and also having married an 
Indian woman he possessed a great amount of valuable knowledge. 
He was the first to draw attention to the monuments at Piedra 
Labrada, and also spoke of burial mounds in the vicinity of San- 
tecomapa. 


Near Los Cerritos, at a distance of about 20 kilometers from 
Puerto Mexico, Loya had seen some hills which appeared to be 
artificial and on which are traces of walls. These hills are entirely 
surrounded by swamps and would form an excellent stronghold. 


From the railway station to the town of Jaltipan is a short dis- 
tance, which now is covered by truck. Just as one enters the town, 
to the right of the road lie several artificial mounds, the largest of 
which is called the “Cerro de Malinche. It is said in Jaltipan that 
Malinche, the famous interpreter of Cortes, was born and raised in 
the town. All the early chronicles disagree as to the place where 
she was born. The tradition which still persists in Jaltipan about 
Dofia Marina, the Spanish name for Malinche, has previously been 
reported by Dr. C. H. Berendt.* 

Brasseur states that the Islands of Tacamichapa formed by two 
branches of the Coatzacodlcos river, was given to the family of Dona 
Marina by the Spanish crown.t 

Mr. Young, of the International Oil Co., which has its offices in 
Frontera, Tabasco, told us this year that some lands near China- 
meca were given to the family of Marina, and remained intact until 





*Icazbalceta, Page 178, Note 2. 
7Brasseur, 1862. Page 57. 


ie? TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


the year 1687. This land was called Chamulco. ‘The owner of it, 
a woman named Ana Tobar, sold parts of the property in that 
year. Mr. Young stated that he had seen the documents relating 
to this property a short while ago. 


Doria Marina is one of the most outstanding personalities of the 
Conquest of New Spain, and the Spaniards would undoubtedly not 
have succeeded if it had not been for her. It is said that she was 
born in the province of Coatzacoalcos, and that her mother married 
a second time, and gave birth to a son. When this son was born she 
agreed with her second husband to dispose of the daughter, and 
therefore, sold her to some Indians from the town of Xicalango in 
Tabasco. As a slave she was sold several times, and finally she was 
presented, together with nineteen other girls, to Cortes. 


In her home she had been brought up to speak the Aztec lan- 
guage, and in Tabasco she learned the Maya. In Cortes’ retinue 
was a Spaniard, Geronimo de Aguilar, who had lived among the 
Mayas, and who had joined Cortes when the latter landed on Cozu- 
mel Island. Thus, at the beginning of the Conquest, Cortes gave 
his orders in Spanish to Aguilar, who translated into Maya to Mal- 
inche, who again translated into Aztec to the Mexicans. In this 
way, she was of prime importance to the Conquerors. She soon 
learned enough Spanish so that she could dispense with Aguilar, and 
as she furthermore became Cortes’ mistress, she was really the one 
who held the fate of the Spanish army in her hands. 


After having risen to great power she again happened to return 
to her country, where she met her mother and her young half- 
brother, whom she recognized. Her mother was afraid of her re- 
venge and asked Dofia Marina for forgiveness. This was granted 
and at the same time Dofia Marina loaded her family with gifts of 
jewelry and land. ‘This is the land mentioned in the traditions of 
the town of Jaltipan. 


There are now considerable numbers of Spaniards and Mexicans 
in the town. They live in houses of brick with tiled roofs, and along 
the edges of the settlement are large Indian quarters. The sur- 
rounding country is likewise inhabited by Indians who all speak the 
Nahua language, and still maintain many of their old ceremonies. 
The ancient custom of dancing before the village saint is one of 
those which has thus survived. 


After the Conquest, the friars noted how fond the Indians were 
of dancing. In order to divert their attention from the idols to the 
saint, the priests arranged dances in honour of the latter. The 
Saint-feast of Jaltipan is held on the 30th of August. The Indians 
from the vicinity take possession of a square in front of the church. 


INDIAN DANCE, JALTIPAN 73 


The men are dressed in their ordinary cotton cloth garments, but on 
their faces they wear masks carved out of wood and painted red and 
green (fig. 56). Some of these masks have moustaches made of 
horse hair and we saw one which had a small pair of deer’s antlers 
on the forehead. On their heads they wear bonnets covered with 
feathers of fowl and the long red tail feathers of the macaw termi- 
nating in small tufts of cotton (fig. 57, a, b, ec). They all carry 
hooked sticks and in the middle of the procession walk two drum- 
mers, one carrying a small drum, the other a large double drum. 
These drums are made out of hollowed tree trunks. The small drum 
is covered with deer skin on both ends, while the large one has skin 
only on the top (fig. 57, d). The drummers are followed by three 








Fic. 56—Jaltipan, Ver. Indians dressed for dancing. 


men playing flageolets. After the men come a procession of women, 
all carrying lighted candles and small Mexican flags. 


The procession stops in front of the church and while the women 
go inside, the men form a circle and commence to dance. About 
twenty take part in the dance. Carefully following the rhythm given 
by the drums, they commence very slowly, little by little gaining 
momentum. Then again they slow down. Sometimes they dance 
in a circle, one moving behind the other, and sometimes they divide 
into two parties, each party attacking the other with their staffs. 
Again they return to the dance in a circle, changing the staff from 
one hand to the other. The man wearing the mask with the deer 
antlers leaves the men in the circle, and goes into the center. Then 


74 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


the man wearing the mask with a moustache also leaves the circle, 
chasing the person representing a deer. ‘The deer dances inside the 
ring, sometimes fleeing outside, continually followed by the hunts- 
man, both moving to the rhythmic beat of the drums. The hunts- 
man tries to catch the deer by its left heel in order to throw it, and 
the deer defends itself with its antlers. : 


tga aS TTR) Finally, the huntsman catches 
Lo the deer, throws it on the ground, 
and goes through the motions of 
cutting off its, left leguse ties 
the deer frees itself and quickly 
crawls away on all fours. The 
huntsman sneaks after as it tries 
to escape, and it is caught at 
last. Then the huntsman cuts off 
its head and skins it, ending the 
dance. 





During the whole of this pan- 
tomime the rest of the dancers 
have been circling around the 
two chief actors, moving now 
slowly, now quickly to the tunes 
of the flageolets and to the beat 
of the drums. 


D After a short pause the In- 
dians begin another dance, a 
more common one called “Moros 
y Cristianos,” wherein both Cor- 
tes and Montezuma, as well as 
parties of Indians and Spaniards 
are represented. After finishing 
this dance, the men also go into 
the church to worship the Saint 
of the village. 





J altipan _Ver. 


In Jaltipan the remnants of a 
Fie. 57—Jaltipan, Ver. Dram and meskes ued bY collection Of /antiqiesmn sam 

J. M. Rodriguez was found in 
1922. A few words should be said about this man. It is believed 
that he was of pure Indian descent. He was much given to the 
study of the antiquities, and eagerly collected the ancient artifacts 
from the surrounding country. His daughter married a Spaniard 
named Villegas, and when the old man died, his collections were put 


JALTIPAN 75 


in sacks and moved with the family from one house to another. The 
greater part of this collection was naturally soon broken to pieces. 
What survived was given as toys to the children of the family. The 
only object saved is now in the possession of Sefora Villegas. It 
is a clay bowl (fig. 58). In the house 
was found the greater part of the old 
man’s collection of books. Among 
them was a nearly complete set of the 
‘“Anales del Museo Nacional” of Mex- 
ico, on the pages and covers of which 
the old man had made a lot of valu- 
able notations, as well as many pencil 
sketches (fig. 59). 


Mr. Ansell, an Englishman, living 
in Jaltipan, says that the greater part 
of the above mentioned collection came 
from Tesistepec and Sayula, both in- 
dicated on our map. The small bow] 
from the collection indicates that these 
objects must have been of Aztec 
origin. 





The most important town of that 
ee es nia? "section of the country-is Acayucan. It 

is said that a colossal stone figure is 

found approximately three hours ride to the northwest of this town. 
This figure is called “La Piedra Colosal de Hueyapan,” and can- 
not be the same as the head described by Melgar and Seler (see 
page 21). It was removed from its original position before the. 
work of bringing it to the museum in Mexico City was abandoned 
due to the Revolution in 1911. 


If we follow the river Coatza- 
codlcos upstream from its mouth, 
we will see some hills on its right 
bank near Nanchital. Here an 
ancient mound has been used as 
base for an oil tank. There are 
some oil drillings about fifteen 
kilometers inland towards the east | : 
of this place. Cae Paes alee 


y descriptivas dispuestas 8 


i 


A. short distance further up [P| 
the river lies the ranch Tuzantepe, | — 
and near by, is a low hill with 





center ; geen 
some larve blocks of stone: on: it, 2"! eee 


76 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


The Indians of the region state that these stones were brought 
there by the ancients, “Los Antiguos”; that they found these stones 
far away and moved them by touching with a magic wand. These 
stones have the appearance of being an outcrop of rock. 


F’rom this place runs the main trail to the large Indian village 
of Ixhuatlan (fig. 60). The inhabitants of this village speak Nahua 
and Spanish. The proximity of the oil camps is having a disastrous 
influence on them. They are acquiring all the white man’s vices and 
getting thoroughly unreliable. The chief product of the village is 
pineapples, which are carried down to the river by the women and 
from there rowed to the market in Puerto Mexico by the men. Near 
the trail at a short distance from 
the village used to stand an idol, 
about 75 cm. high, carved in 
igneous rock, and representing 
some kind of an animal (fig. 
61). It is now said to have been 
removed to the village square. 


Further inland is the Indian 
town Moloaecan, where the In- 
dians likewise speak the Nahua 
language. These Indians have 
been exposed to influences from 
the outside much less than those 
of Ixhuatlain, and do not look 
kindly upon strangers who stop 
over night in their village. 

Half way between this last 
village and the ranch San José 
del Carmen, on the Tancochapa 
river, some idols are reported 
near Paraje Solo, where there is 
also an outcrop of voleanic rock. Oujul seepages are frequent through- » 
out this region. 





Fic. 60—Ixhuatlan, Ver. The Village. 


Several mounds le scattered over the savannas around San José 
del Carmen, and J. J. Williams, who worked on a survey of the 
region in 1852,* teils us the following: 


“Tt seems important to state that in connection with the finding 
of precious metals in these streams, that among the many remains 
of the indigenous people who formerly occupied this locality, there 
are a number of artificial wells on the west bank of the Tancochapa, 


*Williams, 1852. 


MISCELLANEOUS ARCHAEOLOGY poe 


which seem to be rather huge jars of earthenware, four or five feet 
high and three in diameter, buried in the ground, and which cor- 
respond precisely to those now (1853) existing in Sonora and other 
gold districts of Mexico. The peculiar construction and locations 
of these receptacles, and the abundance of drinking water in close 
proximity, justify the conclusion that they were formerly used for 
washing gold . . . 


“The number and variety of mounds found near San José render 
it a place of considerable interest. These are scattered over various 
points and generally composed of chalky earth, alternated by vari- 
ous coloured clay, beneath which are fragments of ancient vessels. 
In examining some of these mounds, 
several copper hatchets and other 
antiquities have been discovered. The 
banks of the arroyos exhibit great 
quantities of plumbic ocre, and usually 
intersect strata of variegated clay suit- 
able for purposes of pottery.” 


Mr. Williams states that gold has 
been washed in the rivers of the dis- 
trict. Now and then a few grains can 
still be washed out of the river sand, 
but the amount is so small that it has 
not been found profitable. This view 
is confirmed by the reports of the Con- 
querors, who tell us that they found 
only gold of poor grade in this district. 








Unfortunately the writer was not 
Fig, 61—Ixhuatlan, Ver. Idol found near acquainted with the Williams report 

a eee when he, in 1921, passed through San 
José del Carmen, so that he was not able to investigate the wells 
which are mentioned. 


Returning to the river, we continue upwards until we reach Paso 
Nuevo. It is the tradition that the town Espiritu Santo, the first 
town founded by the Spaniards, was located here. Now one only 
sees a few wretched huts on a hill. The surrounding corn fields, 
though, are full of potsherds and obsidian chips. 


Thirty kilometers up the river from its mouth we pass the 
Uspanapa river, one of the main tributaries to the Coatzacoalcos, 
and shortly afterwards we reach the large oil refinery at Minatitlan, 
and the village supported by this industrial plant. It is an unat- 
tractive place, and the native inhabitants are more so. 


78 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


Antiquities have been found in a multitude of places along the 
Uspanapa river. At Filesola, pottery was found; in Ribera del 
Carmen and Tecuanapa, large quantities of pottery in streams; in 
Cascajal, a pottery stamp of Aztec type (fig. 62). Arroyo Man- 
cuernillas is well known among the Indians because they have found 
many ancient corn-grinding stones 
(metates) at this place. 


The area is of importance, as the 
contact line between western civiliza- 
tions, such as the Totonae and Aztec, 
with the eastern, the Maya, must 
have been here. 


A small clay figurine such as the 

Eg haviieeret etre tices Stages one found by the oil camp near San 

Cristobal on the Coachapa river sug- 

gests Maya influence (fig. 63). On the other hand, the clay seal 
from Cascajal further east is purely Aztec. 


Puerto. Mexico has nothing attractive about it. Some high sand 
dunes face the Gulf, and in the lee of these lie a few streets of 
miserable houses (see fig. 55). 


The greater part of the houses are built of board and corrugated 
iron; only the offices and quarters of the oil companies are built of 
brick. When it is dry and windy, sand blows into everything, and 
when it rains the streets turn to rivers which carry the refuse of the 
town out into the big Coatzacoalcos river. 


In this hole we stayed for ten days waiting for a boat to take us 
to Frontera in the State of Tabasco. Telegrams re- 
ceived told us that Director Gates of the Tulane De- 
partment of Middle American Research, as well as 
the members of the Tulane Botanical Expedition to 
Tabasco, Messrs. Haskell and Hartenbower, would 
soon arrive by steamer from Vera Cruz. 






NO 





On the Expedition schedule was a visit to some 
ruins reported near Tonala, five hours ride from 
Puerto Mexico, so for several days we tried to get 
animals in order to ride eastward along the coast to 
Tonald, and from there search for the ruins. But the Ver. Ciay ‘neuripe 
recent De la Huerta revolution, of which Puerto eee 
Mexico was for some time the headquarters, had done away with 
nearly all private animals, and the horses available cost up to $7.50 
a day. 





However, we were able to charter a small sloop, and boarded it 
in the belief that such a small craft could go and come as it pleased; 


TONALA 79 


but no, both customs officials and port captain had something to 
say about it, and as the port captain was going on a picnic, he 
would not give us clearance papers to leave port on Sunday morning. 


At last on Monday morning we hoisted the Tulane pennant on 
the good sloop “Lupata,” and sailed out into the Gulf. We fol- 
lowed the low coast towards the east. With all sails set and a small 
auxiliary motor running we made good progress, and after four and 
one-half hours we entered the mouth of the Tonala river. 


Tonala means “hot place” in Aztec, and the sun certainly was 
blazing down on the sandy “streets” of the small cluster of palm 
huts which forms the town. 


The little settlement lies picturesquely hidden behind sand dunes 
beside a shallow bay formed by the river, which is the boundary be- 
tween the States of Veracruz and Tabasco. It was here that Bernal 
Diaz landed in 1518 when he was on Grijalva’s memorable trip of 
discovery along the coast of Mexico. Let us use Bernal Diaz’s own 
words: “There came many Indians from the town of 'Tonala which 
is at a distance of about one league from here, and they were very 
peaceful, and they brought us bread of corn, and fish, and fruits, and 
they gave it to us with good will, and the Captain flattered them 
much and told them to give green beads and diamonds, and said to 
them through signs that they should bring gold for exchange and 
that he would give them of the things we had for exchange, and 
they brought jewelry of low grade gold, and he gave them beads for 
this. And also those from Guazacaleco (Coatzacodlcos) came, and 
from other towns around and they brought their jewelry, which was 
not very much, because in addition to this exchange all the Indians 
of these provinces usually brought some hatchets of copper, very 
brightly polished for refinements or adornment with handles of 
painted wood, and we thought they were of low grade gold. We 
commenced to trade for these, and I tell you that in three days we 
got more than six hundred, and we were very content believing them 
to be of low grade gold, and the Indians still more with their beads, 
and we all came out empty handed for the hatchets were of pure 
copper and the beads a little or nothing. And one sailor had bought 
seven hatchets, and was happy about this, and I also remember that 
one soldier by name of Bartolomé Pardo went to a house of idols 
which was on a hill, and of which it is already said that they are 
called Cues, which is as much as to say House of One’s God, and 
in that house he found many idols and much copal, which is like a 
rosin with which they fumigate (the idols), and knives of flmt with 
which they sacrificed and circumcized, and in a chest of wood he found 
many bits of gold which were diadems and collars, and two idols and 
others as cast beads, and the soldier took the gold for himself. and 


80 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


the idols and the other objects of: sacrifice he brought for the Cap- 
tain, and it did not miss that somebody saw this and told it to Gri- 
jalva, and he wanted to take it, and we prayed him not to do this, 
and as he was in good humor he ordered that the Royal fifth should 
be taken and the rest was given to the poor soldier and it had the 
value of 150 pesos. 


“And I also want to tell how I planted some seeds of an orange 
next to another idol house, and this happened in this way: Because 
as there were many mosquitoes in that river, ten of us soldiers went 
to sleep in one of the tall idol houses, and next to this house I planted 
the seeds which I had brought from Cuba because it had been told 
us that we were going out to settle, and they grew very well because 
the priests of those idols cultivated them and watered them and 
cleaned them as soon as they noted that they were plants different 
from their own, and from these came 
all the oranges of that province . . .”* 





In this narrative are several points 
that interest us. First, the ruins, 
described as located about one league 
from the mouth of the river, were 
undoubtedly those which we were in 
search of; secondly, the small tale of 
the planting of the orange seeds. 
Here is then the place where the first 
oranges were planted on the Ameri- 
can continent (and not in California) . 


We anchored near the settlement 
for a time and went ashore to pro- 
cure guides and food. The guides 
told us of two ways by which to reach the stone monuments reported 
at the ruins. The one was by a dugout over the river and 
then following a small stream, a little more than a league from the 
Tonala river. The other lay up the Tonala river and then in 
through a tributary, the Blasillo river. This last route would give 
us a shorter distance to walk and to carry our equipment, so we 
decided on it. 


With our motor going and the sail stretched out to protect us 
from the sun, we then proceeded up the Tonala river. This river 
has several names. At the mouth it is called Tonala, further up 
from the tributary Zanapa, to a place called Buena Vista, its name 
is Tancochapa, and from this last place it splits into two rivers, the 
Rio de las Playas, which runs nearly due south, and the Pedregal, 


*Diaz, Bernal, Garcia Edition, 1904. Page 46-47. 





Fic. 64—Sailing Vessel on the Gulf Coast. 


TONALA RIVER 81 


which runs more to the southeast, and together with the Tancochapa 
and the Tonala forms the boundary between the States of Veracruz 
and Tabasco. ‘The two rivers above the place where they join are 
swift and narrow with many small rapids, but along its lower 
reaches, the river is slow and deep. 


The section we followed was broad, and the banks were covered 
by a thick growth of mangrove. Here and there white herons would 
be frightened up by the noise of the motor and fly along the river 
in front of us. After two hours and a half we reached the mouth 
of the narrower Blasillo river and turned into it (fig. 65). We had 
to progress with care as snags were plentiful. In some places huge 





Fic. 65—Rio Blasillo, Tab. The Sloop Lupata chartered by the Expedition. 


trees had fallen into the river and nearly stopped our advance. At 
last towards evening we reached a small Indian ranch called Blasillo, 
where we remained for the night. 


One of the first things we did was to hang up our hammocks and 
mosquito nets. The place was infested with these bloodthirsty in- 
sects, and when we went to rest we heard millions of them sing 
woeful serenades outside our nets. 


We were up before dawn, and after a meal set out for the ruins. 
Leaving the river, we had to cross low ground, so low in some places 
that we had to wade along in water above our knees. Our guide 
told us that La Venta was an island entirely surrounded by swamps, 


82 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


the island itself being covered with low hills, with soil excellent for 
growing all kinds of plants. The land is divided into lots, each lot 
belonging to one Indian family. 


As we neared La Venta we met several Indians on their way to 
their corn fields or going hunting. We stopped them and persuaded 
them to help us as guides, and to clear the thick growth which we 
were sure would cover the monuments. 


After an hour’s brisk walking from Blasillo, we at last turned 
off from the trail and stood in front of the first idol. This was a 
huge stone block, 2.25 meters high, 86 c.m. broad, and 72 c.m. thick. 
It had fallen on its back and showed us a human figure carved 
crudely in deep relief, the deep- 
est carving being 14 c.m. (fig. 
67). 

Our jack was not strong 
enough to swing this huge 
block, so we could not see if it 
had carving or inscriptions on 
its back. ‘There is no distinct 
stvle to this figure, though its 
general appearance may be said 
to give an impression of a slight 
Maya contact. 


Close by, in a northwest di- 
rection, we saw a long row of 
stones like small pillars, averag- 
ing 80 c.m. high with tops brok- 
en off, set in the ground in a 
row and close together, forming 
something like a fence (fig. 68), 
" Fic. 66—Rio Blasillo, Tab. View of the River. and in the center of these to the 

east, a huge block, probably an 
altar (Altar 1), rough on the under side and with figures en- 
graved on the smooth upper surface. This altar is approximately 
circular, between 1.5 and 2.0 meters in diameter, and has rolled over 
so that it stands at an angle where it is impossible to get a good 
photograph of it. Moreover, the Indians have had corn fields 
here, and after cutting the bush they burned it off, thereby 
badly damaging the stone by heat. There was no hope of turning 
it without a large gang of workmen and some ropes, so we had to 
content. ourselves with making some drawings of the best preserved 
of the figures engraved on the surface. 





LA VENTA RUINS 83 


From this monument we went back over the trail to a pyramid 
about 25 meters high, which was facing south. There was no sign 
of a structure on its top, and if Bernal Diaz really was at this place, 


the idol house he slept in must 
have been a palm-roofed build- 
ing possibly with adobe walls. 


The next monument found 
by our guides we named Stela 
2 (fig. 69). This was a large 
monolith, 3.20 meters high and 
2.00 meters broad. Fortunately, 
it also lay on its back, showing 
us a standing human figure with 
a large head-dress and holding 
a ceremonial bar diagonally 
across its breast (figs. 70-71). 
It is a full face figure, carved 
on the somewhat rough surface 
of the stone, standing out bold- 
ly against a set of three smaller 
figures on either side. These 
are carved in low relief follow- 
ing the irregularities of the 
stone. They turn their knees 
towards the main figure, heads 
away, and also hold staffs in 
their hands (fig. 72). 


There is no doubt that this 
figure is strongly influenced by 
Maya art, if it is not really 
Maya. The ruins of Comalcal- 
co, the nearest Maya city pre- 
viously reported, lies 100 kuilo- 
meters to the east. The crudity 
of some of the La Venta figures 
must undoubtedly be ascribed 
to the hardness of the material 
in which the carving was done. 
All the monuments at La Venta 
are of igneous rock and are all 


il | 






| 





QUO 
(rss , 


? i 


























i! 


Fic. 67—La Venta, Tab. Stela No. 1. 


of great size. Inquiring of the oil geologists who work for the Cia. 
Mex. de Petroleo El Aguila, we were told by one of these, Mr. N. 
F. Keller, that rock of this kind could not be quarried nearer than 
100 kilometers up the river at a place called La Laja. At Paraje 


84 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


Solo, on the trail between the Nahua speaking village of Molocan 
and Rivera del Carmen, is an igneous outcrop, and another geologist 
of the same company, Mr. S. W. Lesniak, reports an idol at that 
place. 


Here again we stand before one of the amazing riddles of an- 
cient engineering. How did the Indians transport these large blocks 
of stone over a distance of more than 100 kilometers, across swampy 
ground or along the rivers? 

We had bad luck. at La 

Venta—one whole pack of film, 
La Venta the one containing our photo- 
‘TARASCO graphs of the most interesting 
monument, Stela 2, turned out 
totally blank, so we can only 
present some of our drawings 
of this monument. 


After having worked Stela 
2, monuments appeared in rapid 
succession. Altar 2 is located 
at the foot of the pyramid, to 


eAltar 2 the south. It lies with face up, 
Colossal “Altar 3 and on it is carved a crude 
7 ve figure sitting in a niche with 
[Rate] legs cross Turkish fashion (fig. 
= 73). 
Stela 2 


Altar 3 is a square block 
standing close by, carved so 
that it gives the appearance of 
having a cushion on its top. On 

ean its north side, 1. e., facing the 

Ee Fr ‘ough Plan pyramid, is a deeply carved 

' niche in which a figure is sitting 

gia ate AN pte regan gin bent forward with legs crossed. 

To the left of the niche is a 

panel on which a standing figure in low relief is engraved (fig. 74). 

A similar panel was probably also on the right side, but this side of 

the altar has been damaged. The southern side of the altar is plain, 

but on the western side two sitting figures are seen engraved (fig. 

75). 'They face each other and appear to be in some kind of dis- 

pute. We had to dig a little in front of this altar in order to get 
a photograph. 





After this we came to the most amazing monument of them all 
—a huge bell-shaped boulder. At first it puzzled us very much, but 


LA VENTA RUINS 85 


after a little digging, to our amazement, we saw that what we had 
in front of us was the upper part of a colossal head. It had sunk 
deep into the soft ground, and it was out of the question to expose 
it (fig. 76). 

The visible part of the head measures 6 meters in circumference, 
and protrudes 1.35 meters from the ground. In the lower right hand 
corner of the photograph which we made of this monument one 


Y 





Fic. 71—La Venta, Tab. 
From head-dress of 
main figure Stela 
No. 2. 





Fig. 72—La Venta, Tab. Small figure on 





Stela No. 2. 
Fic. 70—La Venta, Tab. 
Fic. 69—La Venta, Detail of main figure 
Tab. Stela No. 2. Stela No. 2. 


sees the left eye of the head. ‘The colossal head reminds one of the 
one found by the Selers between Los Lirios and Tres Zapotes in the 
Canton of the Tuxtlas. La Venta is certainly a place of many 
puzzles, and further work should be done there in order to ascertain 
more definitely where this ancient city should be placed in our se- 
quence of cultures.* 


*Seler, C., 1922. Plate VI. 


86 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


On our way to the next monument we stopped by an Indian hut 
to get something to eat. We were received in a friendly manner by 
an old Indian woman dressed in a white cloth wound around her 
waist. Long flabby breasts 
were hanging down _ beneath 
her belt line, and flowers were 
in her hair. Another woman 
with a face like that of a horse 
apparently was overcome with 
shyness, and rushed out to get 
a chemise with which to cover 
herself. But the loveliest mem- 
ber of the family, a young girl 

Fic. 73—La Venta, Tab. Altar No. 2. of about 15 years of age, ap- 

peared in the doorway in all 

her golden brown glory, plus a white cloth around her waist, and 

some red flowers in her hair. She was beautifully built, with laugh- 
ing eyes, and the most exquisitely shaped breasts. 





We stayed for lunch, enjoying a dish of black beans, tortillas 
and coffee, as well as occasional glimpses of the young Venus walk- 
ing to and fro inside the hut, now and then stealing up to the door 
to get a look at the strangers outside. 


The old lady told us that her father came to this place from 
Jaltipan, on the Tehuantepec railway, and that all the inhabitants 
around La Venta speak Mexicano, i. e., Nahua. This settlement is 





Fic. 74—La Venta, Tab. Altar No. 3. 


LA ‘VENTA RUINS 87 


undoubtedly recent, as are also the Nahua settlements at Moloacan, 
Ixhuatlan, and Chichigapa, all on the Coatzacoaleos and its tribu- 
tary, the Uspanapa. 


After our meal the guides brought 
us to a lot of land owned by an In- 
dian, Leopoldo Sarabia, and here 
showed us another huge altar. This, 
Altar 4, was a large square block of 
stone, 3.15 meters long along the top, 
1.90 meters deep, and with about 1.5 -\t 77 
meters exposed above the ground. 

Po eeeciated the:mass o1 this blocks " “22 Vente, Tab. Ancised drawing 
to be at least 9 cubic meters. On its 

north side is an incised ornament along the upper rim of the table, 
and under this is a deep niche in which sits a human figure, legs 
crossed ‘Turkish fashion. The front of the altar had sunken into 
the ground, and only with some difficulty were we able to expose 
enough of the ornament to get a fairly good photograph of the 
figure (figs. 77-78). 


There is a strong Maya feeling about this monument. The 
person in the niche resembles figures on Stela E at Piedras Negras, 
and the design above the figure undoubtedly represents a conven- 
tionalized animal’s head. 





Fic. 76—La Venta, Tab. Colossal Head. 


88 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 





Fic 77—La Venta, Tab. Altar No. 4. 


gee SORA 
NaS 
Tew 


as 





Fic. 78—La Venta, Tab. Altar No. 4. 


LA VENTA RUINS 89 


For many years two large stone monuments have stood in the 
yard of the Instituto Juarez, a school in Villahermosa, the capital 
of the State of Tabasco. Reports differed as to where they had come 
from. Some people said that they came from Blasillo, others that 
they came from La Venta. We were able to get the history of these 
monuments and to ascribe them definitely to the ruins of La Venta. 
About twenty years ago Don Policarpo Valenzuela, of the well- 
known ‘Tabasco family, had a concession for cutting lumber in the 
territory along the Tonala river. He found these monuments and 
removed them from La Venta to Blasillo on the river with the help 
of the oxen he was using in hauling lumber. We were told that he 
had likewise tried to remove 
Altar 4, for which purpose he 
had dug a trench in front of 
the monument, but found it 
too heavy. He was unable to 
haul away the altar, and it 
sank down into the trench. 
The idols now found in Villa- 
hermosa are carved out of fine- 
grained sand stone just as the 
majority of the other idols of 
La Venta? ‘The larger of 
these represents a sitting fig- 
ure resting his hands on his 
feet. The smaller of the two 
has four faces, and is badly 
weathered. These two figures 
we have numbered Idols No. 1 
and 2, number 1 being the 
larger (figs. 79-80). 

The last monument shown 
us was a sand stone block, 2.10 

ae ty Lergenidel, pnewsin meters broad, 3.70 meters long, 
and 1.30 meters thick, lying on 

the side of a small hill. It may have fallen face down, and as we 
were not equipped to turn such a huge block of stone we could not 
see whether it had carvings on its under side. On the back of the 
stone are some incisions made in recent days with steel tools. The 
Indians told us that they had tried to break it to see what was 
inside it, as they often had seen smoke rising from the stone. I 
think this smoke can be explained by the fact that the sandstone is 
porous and soaks up water when it rains, and when heated by the 





90 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


sun, the evaporation would look like smoke. This monument mea- 
sures at least ten cubic meters. 


One more monument was reported by the Indians, but as it was 
said to be far away, and as we were anxious to get back to Puerto 
Mexico in order not to miss our boat, we did not see this. 


It might be well to summarize the discoveries at La Venta. We 
have here a collection of huge stone monuments, and at least one 
large pyramid. Some features of these monuments are similar to 
things seen by us in the Tuxtla region; other features are under 
strong influence of the Maya | 
culture to the east. The Maya 
features in Stela 2, the stand- 
ing figure with diagonal cere- 
monial bar and huge head-dress, 
and in Altars 3 and 4, are so 
strong that we are inclined to 
ascribe these ruins to the Maya 
culture. 


Upon our return to Blasillo 
our boatman had a good meal 
ready for us, and as soon as it 
had been consumed we started 
downstream towards Tonala. 
The ebb and flood is very notice- 
able in these rivers during the 
dry season, and salt water runs 
far inland during flood tide. 
The Indians always take into 
consideration the ebb and flow 
when they travel on the rivers 
in their dugouts. 





Fic. 80—La Venta, Tab. T Idol i 
It was after dark when we ec A or lahermasas 


reached 'Tonalé and went ashore 
to sleep in one of the Indian houses, and early the next morning we 
returned to Puerto Mexico. 


Several times the steamer for Frontera was reported delayed and 
when it finally arrived we were more than eager to leave. 


We had the choice of two boats for leaving Puerto Mexico, either 
the National steamer, “Jalisco,” on which Mr. Gates and his party 
were to arrive, or a large twin screw motor boat “Reina” belonging 
to the Aguila Oil Company. The “Jalisco” plies up and down the 
coast, and does not enter the port of Frontera, but anchors outside 
the mouth of the river. ‘This means that equipment has to be un- 


SHIPWRECK 91 


loaded into barges and brought into Frontera by that means. The 
“Reina,” on the other hand, was scheduled to go direct to the wharf 
of Frontera and from there up the Grijalva river to Villahermosa, 
for which place we were bound. We, therefore, chose the latter for 
our trip. 


Mr. Gates and his party arrived in due course and brought us 
mail from home, and the following evening the “Jalisco” and the 
“Reina” left Puerto Mexico, both of them carrying Tulane scien- 
tists. 


The “Reina” is a big tub with a heavy mast set right in the 
middle of the boat and a tremendous cabin and bridge tacked on 
clear aft. The crew consisted of twelve Mexicans and the passen- 
gers, two geologists of the Aguila Oil Company, Messrs. Campbell 
and Reed, the two Tulane men, a Mexican Government oil inspector 
and his huge revolver, and a family, or rather a litter, of Mexicans 
consisting of a man, cheerfully drunk, who spent his day spitting 
on the deck, and smoking cigars as near the gasoline cargo as he 
could get, a woman lying on the deck groaning with seasickness, 
and a half dozen kids who took turns in howling at the top of their 
voices. 


We strung our hammocks on the boom, and the Mexican family 
camped right below us. It was an unattractive lot to look upon 
from our lofty position, and we could hardly get out of our ham- 
mocks without stepping on at least one of the youngsters. 


About dawn we had a cup of coffee to drink, and a coffee cup 
full of water to wash ourselves in, whereafter we returned to our 
hammocks. During the early morning we made good headway 
towards the east, with the low sand dunes of the coast in sight all 
the time, but suddenly the boat started to travel around in figure- 
eights and circles, as if the captain had gone mad and were chasing 
porpoises. At first nobody knew what was the matter, but even- 
tually it was discovered that we had only lost our rudder. For a 
short time the captain tried to sail without it, but at last he gave 
this up and issued orders to anchor in sight of the Tupilco light- 
house. 


Tupilco is probably the place Cortes mentions in his fifth letter 
to Charles V. He describes the crossing of a river at Cupilco, and 
this 1s probably identical with this place.* 


The captain sent two men ashore, ordering them to try to get 
through to El Paraiso and from there to communicate with Puerto 
Mexico and instruct the oil company to send out a tug boat to 
rescue Us. 


*Cortes, MacNutt Edition. Vol. II., Page 2384. 


92 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


All day long we watched the coast to see if our messengers were 
coming back. Darkness fell, and then we saw some lights on the 
shore, but after some discussion it was decided not to send in our 
boats, as those signalling might be bandits. At dawn the next 
morning we finally saw a large fire, and the boat was sent in, bring- 
ing back our two messengers. ‘They had gone to the lighthouse on 
foot and from there in canoes to Paraiso. In this place they stayed 
for an hour, sending off telegrams and getting a little food, where- 
upon they immediately returned. ‘They were not the people who 
had lighted the fire the previous evening. 


By noon the crew had rigged up a new rudder made out of a 
pipe and some boards, and, steering with this, we again started on 
our way to Frontera. The rudder worked quite well, but progress 
was slow. Fortunately for us the sea was quiet, as in case of a 
storm we would undoubtedly have been swept up on the coast. 


Several times we sailed through large schools of porpoises, and 
once we saw a shark chasing a big fish. It was a great battle, the 
shark churning the sea and spinning around, the fish sometimes 
jumping clear out of the water across the shark. We did not linger 
to see how the struggle ended. 


Towards dark a wind began to blow, the waves were crested with 
white, and as night fell the water was shining with a bluish green 
phosphorescence. It was very beautiful and strange. ‘The moon 
rose fiery red, and everybody was on constant lookout for the low 
coast, as for a long time we could not see the lighthouse of Frontera. 
At last it came in sight and at about 10:00 p. m. we anchored, as 
it would be too dangerous to try to enter the river at night. 


The following morning we had to wait a long time for the pilot 
boat to come out, and when it arrived, it was only a small launch. 
They tried to tow us, but did more damage than good, and finally 
left us to zig-zag our own way up the river to the town. 


Frontera is the only port of the rich State of Tabasco. Formerly 
it had a large trade in the agricultural products of the State. Its 
main exports were cattle, cocoa, coffee, bananas, and mahogany and 
cedar wood. As the State is rich, it has been a “happy hunting 
ground” for rebels and bandits. 


The town is more attractive than Puerto Mexico, having many 
red tiled brick houses, and a pretty park. ‘Today its trade is small. 
A few mahogany companies still receive rafts of logs which come 
drifting down the river from Chiapas, and an oil company has its 
headquarters here, but the banana companies have all withdrawn, 
partly due to the uncertain conditions as to delivery of fruit, and 
partly to the rulings of the labor government of the State. 





AN) 


es 


NN 


N 


NN 


\ 


AN 
Nw 
PAW 

ARRAN 
baa 


S 


Part of The State of 
TABASCO 


MEXICO 


ala Venta 


ed. Blasillo 


RioHias Lite 


ey 


oe et oe oo ae oe 


pera —- as ae 








CHAPTER V 


THE MAYA COUNTRY 


The first pomt on the American mainland to be reached by 
Europeans was Cape Catoche in northern Yucatan. The first In- 
dian tribe met by the Europeans on the mainland was the Maya. 
For many years this courageous tribe waged a fierce fight against the 
strangers. The Spaniards were in quest chiefly of loot, and as the 
Mayas gave them much trouble, and little gold was found in their 
country, they centered their energies upon the highlands of Mexico 
where gold was plentiful. Moreover, the Maya civilization was in 
decay, and the Aztec civilization at its zenith at the time of the Con- 
querors. Much was written home to Spain about the latter, and 
very little about the former. It is only during the last fifty years 
that scientists have begun to realize that the Maya race produced the 
highest civilization of the American continent, and only very recently 
has the world taken an interest in this ancient civilization. 


The “Maya area,” as we now style it, lies between 87° and 95° 
west longitude and 15° and 22° north latitude. Roughly, it may be 
said to extend from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec on the west to the 
northwest part of Spanish Honduras on the east. To the north it 
is bounded by the Mexican Gulf and the Caribbean Sea, and to the 
south by the Sierra Madre Mountains. 


The present-day geographical division is the States of Tabasco, 
Chiapas, Campeche, Yucatan, and Quintana Roo of the Republic of 
Mexico, British Honduras, the greater part of the Republic of 
Guatemala, and the northeastern fringe of the Republic of Hon- 
duras. 


Linguistically, this area is inhabited by peoples who speak May- 
ance dialects up to this day. Only one outlying zone of Maya lan- 
guage exists—the Huasteca, living along the Panuco River in the 
northern part of the State of Veracruz. 


By the hand of nature the area has been divided into two sec- 
tions, and strangely enough these sections correspond to the two 
major divisions of Maya history. As we now stand in our knowl- 
edge of this history, we divide it into two periods, the Old and the 
New Empires. Roughly, a line drawn from the Laguna de Tér- 
minos on the Gulf Coast to Chetumal Bay on the Caribbean, marks 
the division. What lies south of this line pertains to the Old Em- 
pire, and what lies north to the New Empire. 

93 


94 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


The greater part of the area in which the Old Empire culture 
developed is, but for the plains of Tabasco and the lowlands of 
Petén, a mountain region. The landscape is broken by limestone 
ranges, intersected by broad valleys. ‘The general trend of the 
mountains is from northwest to southeast, following the line of the 
main geological fault. When studying the maps of the region one 
will see that in Tabasco, Chiapas, and the highlands of Guatemala 
there are many rivers. In the Petén, on the other hand, rivers are 
scarce, the ancient cities generally being located beside aguadas, or 
water holes. 


Geologically, the State of Tabasco is quaternary, but as soon as 
the mountain ranges are reached, one gets into tertiary limestone 
which continues until the Sierra Madre is reached, close to the 
Pacific coast. 


In the New Empire region, 1. e., on the peninsula of Yucatan, 
conditions are different. ‘The limestone underlying this area is 
young (quaternary) and very porous, so we do not find any rivers. 
The vegetation is chiefly of bush character. ‘The ancient settlers 
were forced to build their cities by water holes or caves containing 
water, as, for example, the Cenotes at Chichén Itza, or the caves of 
Bolonchén. 


Up to the present day, the inhabitants of the whole of this area 
speak languages of Maya stock, as already stated. 


In most archaeological fields one is able to follow the develop- 
ment of culture from a very primitive stage. 'The deeper one digs, 
the more primitive are the objects found. This is called archae- 
ological stratification. By a careful study of such stratification the 
archaeologist is able to follow the gradual development of the an- 
cient inhabitants of one particular place, and_to estimate the ap- 
proximate age of the objects found. Such stratifications are well 
known, for example, in Egypt and in the Mexican Valley. But no 
such stratification has as yet been found in the Maya country. In 
most parts of the area bed rock is reached after a few feet of 
digging; only objects from the fully developed culture period, but 
hardly any primitive objects have been found. The question arises: 
Where did the Maya race come from? 


By the way of answer, a multitude of theories have been launched, 
most of them based on superficial resemblances between Maya ob- 
jects and the products of cultures from other parts of the world. 


Some maintain that the Mayas came from Egypt, or even are 
descendents of African races; some place the cradle of the Mayas 
on the lost continent of Atlantis; and others say that they arrived 
from Asia on elephants with their culture fully developed. 


MAYA ORIGIN 95 


The theory of an Asiatic origin is probably nearest to the truth. 
but the tribes who migrated from Asia left that continent at a very 
low stage of development. They drifted slowly down to the North 
American continent into Central America. In the rich Central 
American highlands and valleys they cultivated maize, or corn, 
built up a culture, and constructed mounds. From this centre the 
culture spread—returned north, and also extended towards the south, 
carrying the corn culture along with it. 


Many things indicate that the Maya culture was indigenous to 
Central America, but they cannot be discussed in this short descrip- 
tion. Only this much can be stated—that when we first meet the 
Maya, i. e., when the monuments were executed which carry the 
oldest dates, they already had a fully developed system of writing, 
and were experts in handling numerals, chiefly for the purpose of 
astronomical calculations. We find them at full cultural swing just 
around the time of the birth of Christ. They carved hieroglyphs on 
stone, built temples of cut limestone blocks and mortar, and ar- 
ranged them around squares oriented to the cardinal points. 


We have already spoken of the Tuxtla statuette as having the 
oldest date on record on the American Continent (98 B.C.) ‘The 
next is the Leyden Plate dated 8-14-3-1-12 1 Eb 0 Yaxkin (60 
A.D.) Both these objects are light of weight and carved in jadite. 


The oldest large standing monument is in Uaxactun, Depart- 
ment of Petén, Guatemala, where Stela No. 9 records the vear 
68 A. D.* 


These dates are intriguing. The Tuxtla statuette was found out- 
side the western limits of the Maya area, the Leyden plate near its 
eastern boundaries, and Stela 9 from Uaxacttin stands in a ruined 
city in the center of the area in which the Old Empire flourished. 
Around this latter place are a series of monuments on which are 
engraved very early dates, and it is therefore likely that the Maya 
culture had its first growth in the heart of what is now the big 
forests of the Department of Petén.t 


Our sources of information of the history and activities of the 
ancient Maya can be divided into the following groups: ancient 
manuscripts and inscriptions on stone written in Maya hieroglyphs; 
historical records written in the Maya language but with Spanish 
characters; descriptions written in the Spanish language by people 
who arrived in the Maya country shortly after the Conquerors; and 
finally, archaeological and ethnological data collected by modern 
explorers among the Maya speaking people. 





*Discovered by Dr. S. G. Morley of the Carnegie Institution of Washington. 
tMorley, 1925. 


96 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


Under the first of these headings fall a vast number of  hiero- 
glyphic inscriptions on stone, wood, shell, and bone, as well as three 
hieroglyphic manuscripts written on paper made of ficus tree bark 
covered with a fine surface of chalk. These three manuscripts, the 
Dresden codex, the Tro-Cortesianus codex, and the Perez codex are 
preserved in European libraries. 

The deciphering of the hieroglyphs is advancing rapidly. Thirty 
years ago little was known as to what they contained. Now every- 
thing relating to the astronomical calculations of the sun, i. e., the 
Solar Calendar, can be read. We know that the monuments con- 
tain dates and astronomical calculations, and it is believed that they 
furthermore contain some historical data. 'The manuscripts more 
justly may be called books of astrology combined with astronomical 
tables. 

To the second group belong the books of Chilan Balam, the 
Popol Vuh, and the Anals of the Cakchiquels, written by Indians 
who had learned to use the Spanish characters shortly after the 
Conquest. 

The Conquerors themselves were more occupied with wielding 
the sword than the pen, so it fell to the clergy to write the first 
records about the Mayas. Foremost among the sources of the his- 
tory of the Mayas stands the “Relaciones de las Cosas de Yucatan,” 
by Bishop Landa, closely followed by books of Cogolludo, Lizana, 
Remesal, Nuriez de la Vega, and others. Most of what we know 
regarding the religion and customs of the ancient Maya we draw 
from these sources. 

Under the last heading comes a multitude of explorations done 
in the various fields of Maya research in recent times, such as 
studies of language and dialects, and records of: the daily life, the 
superstitions and beliefs of the now living Mayance Indians, as well 
as explorations of the ruined cities. 

The greater part of the Mayance Indians of today are officially 
Catholic, but when living among them one soon discovers that they 
really lead, so to say, an archaeological life. They worship the 
Catholic Saints with pagan ceremonies. They live much as their 
forefathers, and have adopted exceedingly few modern facilities, of 
which the most important is the machete, or steel bush knife. 

Turning to the history of the Mayas, we soon see that the writ- 
ten sources begin with purely mythological data, and do not reach 
historical ground before the period when the Mayas founded a 
colony at Bacalar, in the southern part of the peninsula at Yucatan. 
This means that we have no history connected with the Old Empire 
region, the region where we find such great quantities of ruined 
cities. We must, therefore, reconstruct the history of the Old Km- 


CONQUEST OF TABASCO 97 


pire on the basis of our knowledge of the New Empire, helped by 
a study of the architecture and art expressed in the Old Empire 
cities, as well as of the life now led by the Indians of Maya descent. 


Today huge tropical forests cover the greater part of the coun- 
try in which the Maya culture was developing towards its first 
great period two thousand years ago. The oldest cities, Uaxactiin 
and Tikal, lie in the heart of the jungle. There the large public 
squares between the buildings are covered with impenetrable bush; 
the pyramids lie hidden under a carpet of trees and vines; and the 
roots of big trees are penetrating the walls of the temples, day by 
day completing their destruction. 


Disembarking in Frontera, we stepped on Maya soil. T‘rom this 
point onward, we were going to explore the area inhabited by the 
ancient Maya race; so we again halted a few days to finish our 
notes on the country which we had passed over, and to freshen up 
our knowledge of the country and people which we were about to 
study. 


Entering the mouth of the Grijalva river we again reached his- 
toric ground. It was, as a matter of fact, the ground touched by 
the first Kuropean Conquerors on their first voyage. In 1518 Gri- 
jalva discovered this river, trading with the Indians along its banks 
and giving them glass beads for gold. Again in 1519 the Cortes 
expedition entered the river. Only one of the three ships of this 
expedition could cross the bar. Upon entering the river, the Span- 
iards found it full of Indian canoes crowded with great numbers 
of armed men. At first the relations between Indians and Spaniards 
were friendly; but it was not long before war broke out. Several 
battles were fought, and here for the first time horses were used on 
the American Continent. Both horses and firearms were new to the 
aborigines and threw them into consternation, leaving victory with 
the small troop of Spaniards. 


The main battle was fought at Centla, and several investigations 
have been made to locate this place. The general supposition is that 
it was at the place now called Bellota, across the river from the 
modern Frontera. 


Just opposite Frontera is the ranch El Coco, formerly owned by 
Americans who made excavations of several ancient Indian mounds. 
From this ranch there is said to be a long string of mounds extend- 
ing as far as the Laguna del Remate. 

The first modern explorer to visit the ruins of Centla was 


Berendt, whose notes were published by Brinton. Charnay saw 
some ruins near Bellota, and tells us that burnt brick was used there 


98 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


in the construction of temples on the top of mounds. He also pic- 
tures a stucco relief. Finally, Seler visited the ruins and published 
some photographs of mounds. 


The Tulane Expedition did not go to Centla, but as we later 
explored the ruins at Comalcaleo and found them to be constructed 
of burnt brick and to have stucco reliefs on their walls, it is well to 
make note here of the similarity of the mounds at Bellota and those 
of Comalecalco. 


In Frontera we paid a visit to the Forestry Inspector, the en- 
gineer, Mr. Fraire, who has made a detailed study of the vegeta- 
tion of the Tabasco coast. He has travelled much in the region, 
and as he is a man of many interests he has also made a small col- 
lection of antiquities. Among the objects he was kind enough to 
show us were two copper bells, all that were left of eight found near 
Sotavento Chico, by Carmen, in the vicinity of the Bellota ruins. 
This checks well with the reports of the Conquerors that there were 
many copper implements among the Tabasco Indians. ‘This cop- 
per must have come into the region through trade with Toltee or 
Nahua traders, as no copper is found in the alluvial plains of Ta- 
basco. Accordingly these objects must be of late date, since we 
know as a fact that the Old Empire Maya did not possess this metal. 


A feature of importance mentioned by Berendt is that the mounds 
are covered by a layer of stucco, making the earth works appear to 
be of stone.* 


Cortes’ party brought with it several interpreters, among whom 
Geronimo de Aguilart was foremost. He was able to speak to the 
Indians of Tabasco in the language he had learnt during his stay 
as a prisoner amongst the Mayas of Yucatan. There is, therefore, 
no doubt that we here have true Maya Indians, and that at Frontera 
we had reached the Old Maya territory. 


It was also here that Cortes received the Indian girl, Malinche, 
later Dofia Marina, as a gift from the chief of the country, one 
Tabzcoob {or Tabasco) from whom the whole province later was 
named. 


In the Fraire collection were some specially fine specimens of 
clay figurines from the banks of the Usumacinta river (fig. 81). 
From Tenosique, where this river comes out of the Chiapas lime- 
stone mountains and winds its ways through alluvial plains to Fron- 
tera, the high water of the rainy season each year washes a multi- 
tude of clay objects out of its banks. These objects are gathered by 





*Diaz, Bernal. Edition 1632, Page 8—Charnay, 1880. English Translation, 1888, Page 187, ff—Berendt, 
1869, Published by Brinton, 1896—Seler, E., 1904. Vol. V.. Page 149. 
fRegarding Geronimo de Aguilar, see S. K. Lothrop, ‘‘The Ruins of Tulum.’”’ Carnegie Inst., 1924. 


JONUTA MOUNDS 99 


the Indians and offered for sale. Mr. Fraire had collected several 
good examples, of which we shall reproduce only a few. One is a 
small clay head of a man, exquisitely modeled, and showing artificial 
flattening of the forehead and tatooing around the corners of the 
mouth. ‘This artificial flattening of the forehead is typical in the 
figures represented in stucco on the walls of the temples at Palenque. 
The tatooing has as yet not been noted there, but is nearly always 
seen on clay figurines from the 
mounds at the town Jonuta, on 
the lower Usumacinta river. 
This gives an opportunity 
to say a few words about the 
mounds at Jonuta. Where the 
two branches of the Usumacinta 
livece leet. there “are, several 
mounds, one of which is quite 
large. This large mound lies 
so that it has a dominant view 
of both arms of the-river. From 
its foot the town of Jonuta ex- 
tends downstream. Constant ex- 
cavations for streets and house 
foundations there have brought 
to light a large amount of pot- 
tery figurines. These all show 
a skillfull modeling, and all are 
of distinct Old Empire type. 
When the writer passed through 
Jonuta several years ago, he 
was so fortunate as to secure a 
few of them (fig. 82). They 
are generally in the form of 
hollow whistles with a mouth- 
Fra. 1 Fgontera, Tab, ava Cay Ever piece and from one to five holes 
for notes. The figure most 
commonly represented is an owl-like animal, but human figures are 
also frequent. 


It should be noted that the figurines found along the Usumacinta 
and down to a short distance from the coast are all typically Old 
Empire. Then just along the coast appear a series of figurines 
either of a type similar to those found on the east coast of Yucatan, 
such as one in the Fraire collection, or like an incense bowl belong- 
ing to Captain Stout of Frontera, which is extraordinarily like the 








100 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


bowls made by the present-day Lacandon Indians in the heart of 
the Chiapas forests. Captain Stout told the writer that this bowl 
had been found together with a similar, though somewhat smaller, 
bowl in a mound quite close to the coast west of Frontera. 


In the outskirts of the town of Frontera to the east are a few 
ancient mounds. ‘The Tulane Expedition visited and studied them, 
but as we did not dig in- 
to them, they rendered 
little information. The 
only thing of interest 
were some fragments of 
a stucco floor, found by 
the side of an excavation 
| made for the placing of 

Fic. 82—Jonuta, Tab. Maya Clay Figurine. a telephone post. The 

material of this floor was 

identical with the floors in other Maya mounds. Upstream on the 

right bank of the river, in the southern end of the town, at a place 

called Pravia, are some more mounds. We only place on record the 
fact of their existence, as we did not visit them. 





While staying in Frontera we were assisted in many ways by 
both the American Consul, Mr. Ott, and the chief and staff of the 
International Oil Company. Several delightful hours were spent 
with these American gentlemen, and they furnished us with much 
valuable information. Here it was, for example, that we learned 
from the company’s land agent, Mr. Young, about the document 
relating to Dofia Marina’s property at Jaltipan on the Isthmus, and 
it was here that the company’s engineers and surveyors placed maps 
and observations at our disposal. It was a great help to us to check 
our own information as to the magnetic declination for the area with 
the observations made by the men of the International in their dif- 
ferent oil camps. 


The usual small game of trying to overcharge us was played by 
the local stevedores. The “best” local hotel was found to be just fit 
for pigs. We found quarters in a small house on a grass covered 
street, and deeply enjoyed a change in our diet of black beans by 
partaking of the meals at the International’s mess. 


On the Tabasco rivers are many kinds of transportation, vary- 
ing from native canoes to stern wheelers and fast oil company 
launches. The first boat out of town was a barge with gasoline 
motor, a flat bottomed boat with a two story cabin. Though we 
had a cabin to ourselves, it was so stuffy that we preferred to rig 
our hammocks up on deck. At nightfall we left Frontera, and as 


VILLAHERMOSA 101 


we labored up against the current, we passed the launch of the 
Governor of the State of Tabasco, Tomas Garrido. It looked like 
a moving circus. On the roof of the cabin was an orchestra, and 
tied to the railing along the stern was a flock of turkeys and 
chickens. A bunch of heavily armed Lazzaroni formed the guard 
for this most powerful man. if 


Long before dawn we were chased out of our hammocks by a 
heavy shower, and thereafter huddled together under our rubber 
ponchos with our backs against the wall of the cabin. We tried to 
sleep, but did not have much success. Daylight came, and with that, 
some food. Then the sun broke through the clouds and dried us 
out. 


The banks of the river are low, and planted with bananas. Here 
and there lie plantation houses, all in an advanced state of decay. 
Twice we passed the wrecks of steamers which had been dynamited 
by the rebels during the last revolution to stop the Government 
gun boats from approaching the capital of the State, Villahermosa. 


Sighting a fast launch, we signaled it to come alongside, and the 
owner took us on board. This made better progress than our barge, 
and by noon we at last reached Villahermosa, and there found Mr. 
Gates and the two agronomists of the Tulane Botanical Expedi- 
tion, Messrs. Hartenbower and Haskell. 


Villahermosa is the Spanish for “Beautiful City,” but alas, the 
name is the only thing beautiful about that place. To quote La 
Farge, verbatim, “There is little to say about it except that it is mis- 
named and smells worse than any town we have yet been in. The 
mediaeval atmosphere is completely preserved.” Dirt and flies were 
so plentiful that we decided to leave the following day. Mr. Gates 
put his important botanical projects aside for a few days and joined 
us in order to make himself acquainted with our archaeological work. 


Here again we met difficulties in buying animals, and as we were 
to return through Villahermosa a string of animals were hired to 
take us to Comalealco. The country between the capital of the 
State and the town of Comalcalco consists of alluvial plains cut by 
many rivers, and covered with extensive pastures and scattered 
groups of trees. During the dry season it is preferable to travel at 
night, and we therefore left Villahermosa about 4:30 p. m. 


An hour’s ride from the town we reached Tierra Colorada, where 
we had to cross a broad and swift river called Rio Hondo, or Gon- 
zales, or Platano—all rivers here appear to have several names. 
Here our animals had to be unsaddled, and swim across, while 
we and our luggage went over in canoes. 


102 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


An hour later we forded the Rio Cedro and then rode at a quick 
trot towards the north and northwest. For a long distance we fol- 
lowed the river bank. It was like riding through a beautiful park, 
and the trail being a “Camino Real,” we found it well cleared. It 
was growing dark, and we hastened more, knowing that the people 
living at the next river crossing usually did not come out to ferry 
travelers over the river after nightfall. The night was magnificent 
with millions of stars and millions of fireflies. Fortunately we found 
an Indian with a lantern at the second pass and persuaded him with 
silver to ferry us over the river. Picturesque enough was the black 
water, the heads of the snorting horses alongside and an Indian at 
each end of the canoe balancing an 18-foot paddle. 


On and on we rode until after 11 o’clock we clattered in on the 
cobble stone pavement of the village of Nacajuca. A nice, small 
town it was, with red tiled roofs and colonnades in front of the 
houses. Here and there hung a kerosene lamp. ‘The noise of our 
cavalcade brought the dogs out to bark. Not a soul did we see until 
we reached the Plaza, where we found two heavily armed policemen 
and the local inebriate, celebrating with a phonograph. To our 
question, where we could find quarters for the night, the village 
drunkard replied by leading us to the house of one Doria Teresa. 
Several times we knocked on her door without getting any answer. 
Again and again our friend called, “Dofia Teresa, Dofia Teresa.” 
We were just going to give up hopes of getting into what was said 
to be the only Inn of Nacajuca when we spied the flickering light 
of a candle through a crack in the door and heard whispering voices 
inside. ‘Two women were discussing whether or not it would be safe 
to open the doors at that time of night; it might be bandits or rebels. 
Then one of the doors opened slightly and those within caught a 
glimpse of the writer’s travel-soiled and blonde hair. Strange as it 
sounds, that sight induced her to open the door, and we were ad- 
mitted into a vast room in which were two chairs and one table in 
addition to a child’s bed in a far corner. We unloaded our animals 
outside the house and then led them right through the parlor out 
into the back yard. While we were hanging up our hammocks, the 
old lady produced a good meal. 


The outstanding feature of Nacajuca is its jail, not that we got 
into it, but we were impressed by it as we rode past. The building 
looks solid, has two heavy wooden doors with monstrous locks, and 
an inscription in red letters on its end wall: “Sal $i Puedes,’ which 
means “Get out if you can” (fig. 83). 


The road beyond Nacajuca was good and hard, but this was the 
dry season; when it rains, it must be nothing more than a ditch full 
of mud. Along the sides of the road are rows of a century-plant 


NACAJUCA 103 


called Ixtle, from the fibre of which rope is made, and the finest of 
these fibres look like silk. We know that it was used for textiles in 
ancient times. 


Just after having passed through another town, Jalpa, we were 
told that a bridge on the direct road to Comalealco had broken down. 
We therefore made a detour, but soon had to get a guide, who took 
us over narrow back-trails out to the main road again. This same 
gentleman carried a bottle of rum as his provisions, and every time 
he met a friend they had to stop and talk business. 


Chichigalpa was the last small Indian town we rode through be- 
fore we crossed the stone bridge and entered Comalcalco. 


This town consists of one interminable street lined by white 
houses with red tiled roofs. At the northern end is the Plaza with 





Fic. 83—Nacajuca, Tab. The Village Jail. The inscription on the wall 
reads: “Get out if you can.” 


royal palms and an attractive church. We clattered along until we 
found the Municipal President’s house. There we showed our 
credentials. The document had been written in the office of the 
Governor of the State. As the government calls itself bolshevik, 
both letterhead, text, and signature were in red. That is what one 
may call thorough. 


The effect was instantaneous. <A captain of police was placed at 
our disposal and quickly found quarters for us with some very nice 
Mexicans. For travellers they had a few rooms which opened out 
on a small patio with many flowers. 

As the school teachers are generally the only persons in this part 


of the world who take any interest in such a strange thing as archae- 
ology, we set out to look for the local specimen, and were fortunate 


104 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


in finding an unusual man, Sr. Rosendo Taracena, in charge of the 
private school called “Alberto Corea.” Since 1896 this man has 
published a small paper called “El Recreo Escolar.” The pupils of 
this school do all the work on the paper—set it up, print it, and write 
no small part of its contents. He was keenly interested in our work, 
and was of great help to us during our stay at Comalcalco. 


From him we got the first accurate information’ concerning the 
ruins near the town. ‘To study these ruins was our object in coming 
to this place. Since the French explorer, Desiré Charnay, was here 
in 1880 the ruins have hardly been mentioned. The town lies out of 
the way of the usual traveller, and in later years the district called 
Chontalpa, in which the ruins lie, has been infested with bandits. 
So now that peaceful conditions have been established it fell to us 
to investigate these important ruins, so often mentioned in literature 
but inadequately described. 


Most authors take their information from Charnay’s book, “Les 
Anciennes Villes du Nouveau Monde,” 1885, or its English trans- 
lation of 1887, and seem to be unacquainted with his diaries pub- 
lished in the North American Review through the years 1880 to 
1882. These diaries contain much detail not given in his finished 
work.* 

The French explorer visited the ruins from November 12th to 
22nd, 1880, and is very eloquent in his description. He speaks of 
towers of three stories and uses the word “immense” freely. He 
cleared the main mound and describes this, giving a ground plan, 
and mentions the three ruined temples to the north. These ruins 
cannot be compared with those of Palenque and Tikal. Comalcalco 
is a typical Old Empire city of no extraordinary size. 


Horses were brought for us and, guided by the captain of the 
police, we crossed to the right bank of the Rio Seco, and rode north- 
wards. A few miles from the town we turned dug east, and soon 
came in sight of the first mounds. 


To our left lay a temple facing east, and to our right rose the 
great mass of the main mound, the mound which Charnay had 
visited and mapped. We quickly dismounted and with Mr. Gates 
in the lead we scrambled up to the top. As the ruins were covered 
with dense bush, our first visit was by way of a preliminary investi- 
gation. Groping our way through the thick undergrowth we went 
from temple to temple. We had copies of Charnay’s map and 
drawings, and with the help of these we soon found our way. Here 
were the “towers,” which turned out to be two-story temples, and 
there lay the long building called the Palace. 





*Charnay, 1881. Page 187-94—Charnay, 1885, French. Page 161-177—Charnay, 1888, English. Page 
194-210, All other authors quote Charnay. 


COMALCALCO RUINS 105 


All the structures were built of brick laid in mortar, a rare fea- 
ture in the Maya architecture. Remains of rooms were still stand- 
ing, true Maya with corbelled vaults known as the Maya arch. 


From the highest buildings we overlooked the surrounding ab- 
solutely flat country, dotted with innumerable mounds. Clusters of 
what looked like high trees generally turned out to be low trees on 
high mounds. There was much work in sight for us to do, and 
therefore, we decided to return to the town in order to arrange for the 
Indians to cut down the bush. . 


While we were roaming around to get a first idea of our work, the 
Mayor of Comalcaleo, Don David Bosada, and one of his friends, 
Col. Manuel Graniel Gonzales, arrived. Both were interested in our 
activities and furnished us much information and help during our 
stay. 

Our rough survey ended, we returned making a large cavalcade. 
Our entry into the town was quite formidable, riding six abreast 
down the main and only street of Comalcalco. 


The greater part of the Indians do not pay taxes, but must do 
a certain amount of public work, such as clearing roads, every year. 
Often this obligation is abused by the authorities, but it seemed not 
to be so at Comalcaleo. We asked for twenty men, and the follow- 
ing morning when we arrived at the ruins we found them waiting 
for us. At once they were set to cut bush at Temple 1, and by mid- 
day this temple lay bare, and the trees and bushes around the palaces 
were falling rapidly. 

While the Indians were busy in this way we began to make 
ground plans of the buildings, and also sketches of several ornaments 
encountered.* 


Most of the temples lie on a huge artificial mound about 35 
meters high and 175 meters along its eastern base. The sides of this 
mound contain so few burnt bricks that there is little doubt but that 
the entire structure was built up of dirt and held by brick retaining 
walls. Apparently the mound faces west, i. e., towards the setting 
sun, as two arms extend in this direction and form the side of a 
Plaza at the western foot of the mound. We called this the Palace 
mound, the structure investigated and mapped by Charnay. 


*The buildings were numbered as follows: 








Numbers Given by T. U. X. Charnay’s Numbers. 
No Temple at South end of Palace Mound. Tower No. 1. 

ine N Tower No. 2. 
No Temple Facing North. Poin eh oe ana: 


Palace, East of No. 2. 


Li 

2. 

3. 

4. Temple on Palace Mound Facing South. ' Not Reported. 
No. 5. Western of two Temples on Palace Mound Facing South. Not Reported. 
No. N-1. Main Temple of North Plaza, Facing East. Mentioned but not mapped. 
No. N-2. Temple on North Side of North Plaza, Faces South. Mentioned but not mapped. 
No. N-3. Temple on South Side of North Plaza, Faces North. Mentioned but not mapped. 


TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


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Ag suinegy 











spunolt 


ae 











Fic. 84—Map of Comalcalco Ruins. 


COMALCALCO RUINS 107 


Temple 1, Palace Group. 'This building stands at the southern 
end of the Palace mound, or Acropolis. It faces west (fig. 85). 
Charnay describes it as a three-story tower, and compares it with 
the tower at Palenque, in which he is wrong. The tower at Palenque 
has several stories and an interior stairway. Temple 1 at Comal- 
caleo may be called a two-story building in that it consists of a one- 
story temple, under the center of which is a single room reached 
through a passage from the front. 


While clearing this ruin our Indians killed a large poisonous 
snake, a Nahuayaca (fig. 86). 





Fic. 85—Comalecalco, Tab. Front of Temple 1. 


The temple proper is of a form commonly found in late Old 
Empire cities. It stands on a terraced mound and is reached from 
the west side by two narrow stairways. Between these stairways 
is the passage which gives access to the chamber under the center 
of the floor of the temple proper. The front of the temple is 7.5 
meters long and is divided into one broad doorway and two narrow 
passages by the ends of the side walls of the building and two 
square columns. Inside the temple are two parallel rooms. From 
the ground plan it will be noted that the walls and pillars of the 
temple are placed in such a way that their weight at no point les 
directly over the lower chamber (fig. 87). 


108 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


The building has fallen towards the southwest end, and the huge 
amount of debris lying on that corner of the mound indicates that 
the roof was of common Maya construction and the ceilings of the 
rooms were corbelled vaults. On one large block of masonry an 
elaborate ornament in stucco is still to be seen. This was repro- 
duced by Charnay.* Indication of stucco ornamentation was also 
found on the front of the standing pillar. All walls as well as the 
steps leading up to the temple 
showed indications of having 
been covered with a thick layer 
of mortar with a highly polished 
surface. 


The lower chamber is reached 
through a passage between the 
two narrow stairways leading 
to the temple, as already stated. 
Its floor is filled with debris 
and nearly all the stucco cover- 
ing the walls has fallen off. 
Today it is the home of innum- 
erable bats. 


Temple 2. (Fig. 88). This 
building faces north and is bad- 
ly ruined. From the few walls 
and the one column yet stand- 
ing, it is clear that the ground 
plan of this building was similar 
to that of Temple 1, though it 
appears that a long room on a 
level somewhat lower than the 
floor of the temple proper was 
attached to the southern side of 
the structure. A lower chamber 
Fig. 8¢—Comalcaico, Tab. Indian with poisonous cimilarecO: Lien Olas (ia ne 

is also found here. On the top of 
the debris of this building lies a huge block of masonry on which is 
seen the torso of a man modelled in stucco relief.t 





We now turn to the Palace, the largest of the structures on the 
mound and stretching from south to north. Its total length is 80 
meters and its breadth 8 meters. It contains two parallel galleries, 
which may have been divided into rooms. Doors opened both 


*Charnay, 1888. Page 204. 
*Charnay, 1888. Page 210. 


COMALCALCO RUINS 109 


towards the east and the west. Only a small part of the building 
is still standing, and from this it is seen that the ceilings of the 
rooms were built in the form of corbelled arch (fig. 89). 

The walls of the Palace 
are stuccoed as also the sides 
of the arch, but in this latter 
place we again see a new 
feature. On the masonry of 
the arch great quantities of 
pot sherds have been _plas- 
tered and» over? th esesthe 
smooth coating of stucco has 
been applied. These broken 
pots must have been placed 
there because they would 
hold the stucco better than 
the rough wall. Among 
these sherds is one of a 

— coiled pot (fig. 90). 

A. kind of window leads 
out to a small sunken court 
to the east of the Palace, 
and over this window les 
the largest brick seen in the 
ruins, measuring 1.02 meters 
long, 50 cm. broad, and 5 
em. thick: (fie91 \. 


Apparently the central 
wall and the interior half of 
the arch was built first, and 
the exterior half of the arch 
made to lean against the 
central core. ‘There is no 
key slab, as is the custom in 
all other Maya building. 
This is probably because of 
the use of baked brick as 
building material instead of 

Fic. 87—Comalcalco, Tab. Ground plan and section the cut limestone used in 
of Temple 1. Scale 1:200. os 
other Maya cities (fig. 92). 

The exterior profile of the roof is similar to the roofs at Pal- 
enque, and there are likewise signs of stucco ornamentation on the 
roof slope. Charnay speaks of a roof comb on the Comalcaleo 











110 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


Palace. If such existed, it must have been small, as there is little 
débris on the top of the roof. 


We were struck by the small amount of débris found on the 
northern half of the Palace ruin, but this is explained by the fact 
that two bridges and several houses in Comalcalco have been built 
with bricks from the ruins. 


A small trench dug in the standing part of the Palace revealed 
a floor of highly polished stucco. 


essa ee rar they pa ee eer ee «fara eS — ee 





Fic. 88—Comalcalco, Tab. Ground plan and section of Temple 2. 
Scale 1:200. 


On the top of the Palace Mound only two more structures are 
to be mentioned, mounds 6 and 7. Of these No. 6 appears to be a 
building in complete ruin. No. 7 does not show indications of 
having supported a building. Between this latter mound and the 
southern end of the Palace is a small sunken court. 


COMALCALCO RUINS 111 


The Palace Mound shoots out two spurs towards the west, on 
the southern one of which are some small mounds which may con- 


Fic. Eee etalk Tab. Remains of the Palace. 





tain tombs, and on the north- 
ern are two Temples, Nos. 4 
and 5. They both face south 
and are in an advanced state 
of ruin. 


Between the two mentioned 
spurs at the western foot of 
the Palace Mound lies a small 
Plaza, and further to the west 
is a series of large and small 
mounds, of varied form, ar- 
ranged unsymetrically, though 
their sides are oriented to the 

cardinal points. 


We now cross the trail be- 
tween Comalealco and the La- 
goon of Mecoacan and reach 
the northern’ lazas (At the 
western end of this Plaza 
arises a pyramid about 20 me- 
ters high, crowned by the ruins 
of a temple that faces east, 
towards the rising sun. ‘This 
temple we named N-1. It is 
badly ruined—the whole front 
has fallen, leaving only the 


back wall iil part of the southern wall still standing (fig. 93). The 
debris is so thick that it was not possible to make out the ground 


plan of this building. Down 
on the eastern side of the 
pyramid, where the stairway 
leading up from the Plaza to 
the doors of the Temple used 
to be, La Farge found a frag- 
ment of a large stucco head 
modeled on a core of burnt 
brick, (fig. 94). Here also 
were found several bricks with 
incised drawings. 


To the north and south of 
this main temple are long ter- 
races extending towards the 





Fic. 90—Comalecalco, Tab. Potsherds on the wali 
of the Palace. 


1T2 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


east, and on the ends of these nearest the main Temple are ruins 
of two smaller temples, N-2 and N-3, both facing towards the 
Plaza. 

On the top of the northern terrace, in a place marked X on the 
general plan of the ruins, Professor Taracena, our friend from 
Comalealco, found a large clay pot. This has the form of a huge 
flower pot, and was found interred in the ground, standing with 








Fic. 91—-Comalcalco, Tab. East wall of the standing portion of the Palace. 


its opening downwards (fig. 95). Professor Taracena brought the 
pupils of his school out to excavate the urn. All the fragments of 
it were carefully collected, and when brought to the school house 
at Comalcalco they were assembled. Now the huge pot stands in 
the main class room together with many other objects found at the 
ruins. When we had finished our explorations we also had the 
| large stucco head found on the 
east side of the main pyramid 
of this northern group (N-1) 
brought to the school, so that 
it might be taken care of by 
one of the few men in the 
region who respect the antiqui- 
ties of their country. 


The northern Plaza is closed 
Fig. 92—Comalcalco, Tab. Cross section of the to the east by a terrace, on the 
pM CANT ETA Le eenter of which is a small 





COMALCALCO RUINS Lis 


mound. A line drawn from the center of the Pyramid N-1 to the 
central mound on the east terrace points true east, and there is little 
doubt but that the Maya as- 
tronomers used this line for 
their observations on the rising 
sun and the stars. 


The ruins near Comalcaleco 
lie on the alluvial plains of Ta- 
basco, not very far from the 
coast. ‘There is no rock in this 
area, and therefore the ancient 


builders had to burn brick for 


their structures. 


Between Bellota and Comal- 
caleo, 70 kilometers distant 
from each other, several groups 
of mounds have been described 
by Berendt and Seler, and they 
both state that these mounds 
have retaining walls of brick.* 





This is the only place in the 
Fie. 98—Comalcalco, Tab. Main Temple (N-1) on the Maya area where we encounter 
Northern Plaza, showing its Southern walls. : ‘ 5 

brick as building material. The 
average size of the bricks in Comalcalco is 19 ¢e.m. broad, 25 c.m. 
long, and 4 c.m. thick. The bricks were burnt in open fires, as they 
all have a black stripe inside when 
broken, showing that they were 
not baked through. Many have 
incised designs, crude attempts on 
the part of the brick makers to 
copy hieroglyphs and ornaments 
on the temple walls (fig. 96). 
Charnay mentions two such bricks 
which he sent to the Trocadero 
Museum in Paris. We were for- 
tunate in finding several frag- 
ments and one complete brick, 
which was delivered to the De- 
partment of Anthropology, Sec- 
retaria de Education Publica, in 
Mexico City by Mr. Gates. One Fic. 94—Comalcalco, Tab. Stucco head on brick core 
found upon East side of Temple 


of the fragments shows the lower Moukde Ne 


*Brinton, 1896. Page 8—Seler, E., 1904. Vol. V, Page 149. Plate XIII, 2. 





114 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


part of a warrior holding a spear. ‘The complete brick has on its 
surface the drawing of a conventionalized serpent’s head. The 
drawings on these bricks closely resemble the scratchings found on 
the walls of many of the temples in the Petén area, such as Tikal, 
Nakum, and San Clemente. 


Not far distant from the ruins, to the east, is a large lagoon, 
the Mecoacan, where oysters abound. Here is where the ancient 
builders got the oyster 
shells which they burnt 
into mortar and used as 
binding material for their 
brick, and for the stucco 
surfaces of their walls. 
The layers of mortar be- 
tween the brick are usual- 
ly about one centimeter 
thicker than the brick it- 
self, and the mortar used 
for the walls is crude, 
containing many unburnt 
oyster shells. 


The rough walls of the © 
building were covered 
with a layer of fine mor- 
tar, or stucco, and this 
was painted. The color 
most commonly used was 
a deep red, extracted 
from the red ochre earth 
so abundant in the whole 
of the Maya area. Blue, 
green, yellow, and black 
were also used. ~ 








Fic. 95—Comalcalco, Tab. Professor Taracena with huge pot One outstanding fea- 
found by him in the North Plaza of the Ruins. é 
Circumference at bottom 3.40 m. ture of all Maya build- 
Height 1 m. 


ings is the corbelled arch. 
The Maya architect never learnt how to build the true arch. When 
the vertical walls of a building had reached the desired height, the 
mason pushed one stone at a time a little further in than the next 
lower one, and by doing this from both sides of the room, the 
stones would eventually meet in a point. In stone buildings a cut 
stone slab, the Key Slab, would close the arch. In the Comalcalco 
buildings the two slanting walls meet. This was a cumbersome 


COMALCALCO RUINS 115 


system of construction, giving very little room space in comparison 
to the solid masonry, and did not permit of very broad rooms. The 
width of the rooms can often be taken as a criterion for the age of 
the building. In the oldest buildings the walls are thick and the 
rooms very narrow. As the architect becomes more skilled he 
broadens the rooms. In Northern Yucatan where the Maya went 
through his renaissance, we find quite broad rooms with very slop- 
ing ceilings. 


All our work had been finished. We had drawn ground plans 
and sections of the temples, made a 
general map of the ruins, taken notes 
on art-and construction. It was late 
in the afternoon and we were ready to 
leave Comalcalco the next day. Only 
a small ruined room remained to be 
placed on the general map. This room 
lay hidden by thick undergrowth, on 
the western slope of the Palace mound “LE 
quite near Temple 2. It was a small 
room, probably an old burial place. 
Most of it had fallen in, and what was 
exposed did not appear to be of great 
interest. “Brick clad with stucco. Ceil- 
ing of room and some of east wall ex- 
posed. 1.75 meters long and 1 meter 
broad. Nothing much to note.” That 
is how the notebook runs. The sun 
was standing low, and its rays fell on 
the east wall of the room. “What was 
that on the walls—some stucco orna- 
ments?’ Eagerly we scraped away a 
great mass of fallen leaves and dirt. 
The feather ornaments of a helmet ap- 
peared, then a face, all modeled in 
stucco low relief. More feathers, and Fr. 86—Comalealeo, Tab. Burnt bricks 
part of another face. After all we 
had not finished our work at the ruins. Here before us was a burial 
chamber with delicately modeled figures on its walls. We must 
clean this out before leaving. Thrilled with what lay in store for 
us we rode back to the town through the short tropical dusk. 








‘a , 
Y, N 
SE SS 


Early the next morning we were ready to clean out the burial 
chamber. Only five Indians were employed, as there was not much 
room in the narrow chamber. Our excitement seemed to communi- 


116 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


cate itself to our Indian workmen. With the greatest care they 
removed dirt and stones, and by noon we had exposed the upper 
part of nine figures, three on the south, three on the east, and three 
on the north wall. The entrance to the chamber had been from the 
west, and on this side we found the blocked door. ‘These nine 
figures delicately modeled in low relief are some of the finest pieces 
of art as yet found in the Maya area. 


By noon the next day 
the small chamber had 
been cleared. We had 
reached its highly pol- 
ished red cement floor 
(figs. 97 and 98). 


On this floor stood 
four low pillars built of 
brick, and from the dirt 
around these we extract- 
ed a large amount of 
clam shells, all squared 
and filed, and with two 
holes in each for suspen- 
sion. They had once 
formed part of a neck- 
lace worn by the noble 
or high-priest who had 
been laid to rest in the 
chamber. All these shells 
had been painted with a 
red earth. Some frag- 
ments of human _ bones 
were also found, and 
these too were covered 
with the same red sub- 
stance. Whether this is 
a case of secondary burial 
with painted bones, or 

Fic. 97—Comalcalco, Tab. Tomb showing East wall whether the red colour 

Mateo et came from the great 
amount of shell ornaments found all over the floor of the grave, we 
were not able to judge (fig. 99). 

It looked as if a wooden slab had been placed on the pillars 
on the floor of the chamber and on this table the body had been laid. 
Due to moisture percolating through walls and ceiling of the chamber, 
all had decayed except the shell ornaments and a few bits of bone. 





COMALCALCO TOMB 117 


Standing at the western end of the chamber, we look at its back 
wall—the east wall. Here we see three figures. The central one is 
undoubtedly intended for the most prominent person of the nine pic- 
tured on the walls (fig. 100). 


The head of this figure (No. 5) is shown in right profile, the 
shoulders and body in front view. He is turning to a person on the 
right (No. 4). On his head is a simple helmet, in his ears are ear- 
plugs, around his neck a string with a large pendant, and around 
his waist a loin cloth. The body is nude, and the face and shoulders 
are badly weathered (fig. 101). 


Figure No. 4 is shown in left profile, turning towards No. 5, 
and with his right arm lifted in gesticulation, as if to emphasize what 





Fic. 98—Comalcaleco, Tab. Necklace made of clain shells, found in tomb. 


he is saying. He wears a helmet and earplugs. On his arms are 
cuffs, and on his breast hangs a pendant in form of a bar. His loin 
cloth is very elaborate. He turns his shoulders in front view, but 
there is a twist in the drawing indicating that he is on the verge of 
turning towards Figure No. 5 (fig. 102). 


Back of No. 5 stands a man, No. 6, shown in right profile, head 
as well as body. He stands stiffly erect with his arms crossed over 
his chest, a servant standing at attention by his master (fig. 103). 

Three groups of hieroglyphs may explain this scene. Some parts 
of the glyphs have disappeared, and the ones preserved belong to 
those which we as yet cannot read. None of the glyphs in this tomb 


118 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


are calendrical, so we have to estimate its age by artistic criteria 
(fig. 104, d, e, f). 


On the south wall, we see three more figures, Nos. 1, 2, and 3. 
No. 1 standing stiffly erect with his arms crossed over his chest is 
shown in left profile (fig. 105). Before his face is a column of 
glyphs (see fig. 104-a). The central figure, No. 2, in right profile 
with body in front view, is bending slightly towards No. 1. Part 
of his head-dress and his left arm have disappeared. In his right 
hand he holds a bag, and around 
his neck is a string of beads 
(fig. 106). 

No. 3 is the best preserved 
of them all. A standing man 
is shown in right profile with 
downcast eyes. The whole 
figure shows repose, one might 
say sadness. His head-dress is 
smaller than the others. On his 
chest hangs a large pendant, 
probably meant to represent a 
face carved in jade (fig. 107). 


Of the three groups of 
glyphs on this wall, the greater 
part has fallen away, only show- 
ing impressions in the stucco 
where they once were placed 
(see fig. 104-a, c). 

& On the northern wall there 
are three more figures, all with 
nude bodies, dressed only in loin 
cloths and hats. Figures No. 





Fic. 99—Comalcaleo, Tab. Ground plan and section 


f tomb. Nos. 1-9 refer to positi f st = - 
: figures. (Fig. 100-103, 105-110) Letters 7 and 8 are shown in left pro- 
bap Muerte erp tiki dysn Dec tls = file, Figure No. 9 in right. We 


were fortunate in being able to 
make a paper squeeze of the head of Figure No. 7. This head is 
exquisitely modeled, and ranks among the finest pieces of Maya 
art (fig. 108). 

Of figure No. 8 only the shoulders and the lower part of the 
face is preserved. Bricks from the ceiling had fallen and crushed it 
long ago. Enough, though, remains to show us that this figure wore 
a bead necklace and a large earplug. ‘The face turns the left pro- 
file towards the spectator, and the shoulders are seen in full view 


(fig. 109). 


‘J pue ‘os ‘p suonjdrosur d1ydA[so19ry 
‘9 pue ¢ ‘Ff saInsy SUIMOYS Quo JO [TVA yseq “qey ‘Od[VI[VWOJQ—O0L “DI 


oa 
= 
© 
a 
fo) 
S) 
Ne 
< 
') 
4 
< 
a 
jo) 
'S) 





TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


Fic. 101—Comalcalco, Tab. Tomb, Fig. 5. 





COMALCALCO TOMB 








4 


ig. 


F 


+ | 


Tomb 


Tab 


102—Comalcalco, 


Fic. 


TRIBES AND TEMPLES 





~W 


COMALCALCO TOMB 123 


And last we come to Figure No. 9, a fat-bellied elderly gentle- 
man shown in right profile with stumpy nose and heavy chin, and 


apparently a hunchback (fig. 110). (The glyphs on this wall are 
Figure 104, g, h, i). 


This completes the array of figures. Every one is different from 
the other, every face showing character. No doubt they are all 


a vr.) ¢ 


Uy, me 


x 
H 


ce 
Te) 


RS 
\\ 
re 


: Z, MMitti 
% DAG 

6Q 2 OS CY 
QT ZS) Ya 


& 
of 


pe 
® 


MFI (AFD 
(OW I) 
IGie . 

Cf) sos S 
Dvd > 


)) g 


3 A t 
a & & 
aS 


ad 
tt 
Od 


Fie. 104—Comalealco, Tab. Hieroglyphic inscriptions on walls of tomb. 


portraits.* They may be a picture of the dead ruler and his fore- 

most court attendants and servants. It is distressing to have to 

refer to them by numbers. One is tempted to give them names and 

to try to imagine their lives. Bishop Landa tells us that the rulers 

- of Yucatan, at the time of the Conquest, kept troupes of actors and 
Spinden, 191 


2 6. 
*C. F. Spinden, 1916. 


TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


Fic. 105—Comalcaleco, Ta Tomb, Fig. 1. 





COMALCALCO TOMB 


Fic. 106—Comalcalco, Tab. Tomb, Fig. 2. 








TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


Fic. 107—Comalcalco, Tab. Tomb, Fig. 


127 


COMALCALCO TOMB 





7 


Fig 


y 


Tomb 


-—Comalealco, Tab. 


108 


Fic. 





TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


Fic. 109—Comalcalco, Tab. Tomb, Fig. 8. 


COMALCALCO TOMB 


Se: 





Fic. 110—Coimalealco, Tab. Tomb, Fig. 9. 


130 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


jesters. Was our hunchback the court jester, grown sorrow OW 
that his chief had died? The feet have been done in a cor 1 .onal 
way, the loin cloths with more care, and the faces with a ray. mas- 
tery of relief. No doubt the Maya artist knew the full value of 
shadows thrown by the relief, and utilized this to give expression. 


In this small chamber we stand before the best stucco work yet 
found in the Maya area. Even the fine stucco figures in Palenque 
do not reveal such mastery and freedom of line. 


Both the figures and the walls of the tomb were painted in the 
same deep red color as the floor. 


When the tomb had been cleared we spent a day in cleaning 
the figures carefully with soft brushes and filling all cracks with 
cement so that these magnificent figures would be protected against 
destruction by the elements. The Muncipal President of Comal- 
calco, Don David Bosada, was fully aware of the artistic and his- 
torical value of our discovery, and he at once ordered a roof to be 
built over the chamber to protect it against the tropical rains. 


Again it was late afternoon. The rays of the setting sun fell 
on the central figure of the back wall, perhaps the picture of the 
dead chief. Let us give imagination a free rein for a moment, and 
see the tomb ready to receive the lifeless ruler. His career had 
ended, and as the sun, worshipped by him and his people, was set- 
ting and its rays fell on his picture on the back wall of the tomb, 
they laid him to rest on the wooden table on the floor of the cham- 
ber. Around him stood his friends and servants mourning, as we 
now see them pictured on the walls. 


And as the last rays of the sun fell on the picture of the chief 
who had died about 1,400 years ago, and whose portrait we had 
again brought to light, we left the ruins to continue our journey 
through the country where his race flourished long ago. 


As we rode away our thoughts went back to the splendor of the 
ancient Maya. We saw the main mound crowned by Palaces and 
Temples, with Plazas at its base, and were reminded of what Bishop 
Landa tells us about the Maya towns. To use the good priest’s own 
words: 


“Before the Spaniards conquered those lands the natives lived 
in towns, well arranged, and their lands were clean and free from 
weeds, and planted with good trees. And the houses were arranged 
in this way: In the middle of the town were the temples around 
handsome squares, and around the temples were the houses of the 
rulers and the priests, and after these were those of the principal 
people, and in this way the richest and most highly esteemed lived 
nearest to them, and towards the edges of the town were the houses 


MAYA GODS 131 


of 4 9 wer classes. And where there were wells, these were near 
the s/oevrs of the nobles; and they had their inherited lands planted 
with »ine trees (sic) and sown with cotton, pepper and maize, and 
they lived in these congregations for fear of being captured by their 
enemies, and as a result of the Spanish Conquest they scattered into 
the forests.”* 


Only the houses of the most noble, the rulers, and the high- 
priests were of stone. The rest of the population lived in thatched 
huts. Now all these dwellings of perishable material have gone, and 
on the top of the mounds lie the ruins of the temples, like monu- 
ments to the greatness of bygone days. 


It is from Bishop Landa that we get most of our knowledge of 
those ancient times. He further tells us of the gods and the priests, 
of the rulers and the nobles, and of the life of the lower classes. 


Who were the gods to whom such magnificent temples were 
erected? Who were the priests who served the altars of the gods? 


Little do we know about the Maya Pantheon, and what we do 
know has been gleaned chiefly from the early Spanish records. We 
know that the great creator of the world was Hunabku, but we do 
not know where or how he was worshipped. His son Itzamna, on 
the other hand, played an important part in the Maya ritual. He 
was the father of the gods, the creator of man. His home was in 
the east, and he was, therefore, the god of the rising sun, of life 
and light. It is said that he invented writing and books, and that 
he had great knowledge as a healer. As a sky god we often see his 
head on the monument, emerging from the jaws of a double-headed 
monster. 


Though Itzamna was the god of the rising sun, a god who gave 
light and life, a benevolent god, he was not worshipped as much as 
the rain gods. The Maya being an agricultural people, and rains 
being of prime importance to their crops, the rain gods, called 
Chac, naturally played a supreme role in their religious system. 
Many times a year ceremonies were conducted in honour of Chac, 
but specially just after the planting of corn. Incense and rubber 
were burned at these ceremonies. One of the common offerings was 
to pierce one’s ears and let the blood drop on balls of cotton. In 
this offering the Maya gave of what was most valuable to him, his 
own blood in honour of his gods. The people met before the temples 
when conducting special ceremonies, and performed elaborate dances 
to the rhythm of drums and rattles, while clouds of fragrant copal 
incense rose to the sky, and the high-priest smeared the image of the 
god with blood of man and animals. 


*Landa, 1864, Page 90. 


132 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


Ahpuc was greatly feared. He was the god of death, * ) 
identical with Hunahau, ruler of the underworld, Mitnal, or — na. 
This god is always pictured as a skeleton having a huma. skull. 
He is the special patron of those who are sacrificed to the gods, 
those who die when giving birth, and also of beheaded captives 
(fig. 111). 

A close associate of the death god is the God of War, and his 
henchman Ek Ahau, the black captain. 


At each of the four cardinal points, north, south, 
east and west, stood a god, a Bacab, holding up the 
four corners of the sky. They were close friends of 
the Chacs. In turn they ruled over the year, and one 
of them, the most benevolent of the four brothers, 
Hobnil, was the special patron of those who grew 
cacao and raised bees. 


There were gods for the huntsmen, gods for the 
fishermen, and a long array of gods for medicine 
Fic. 111~Hun Ahau, the and healing. Of these latter, Ixchel, the rainbow, 

Maya God of Death. ° 
(From the Dres-’ wife of the great god Itzamna, was the goddess of 
den Codex). : : . 
childbirth, and her image was always placed under 
the bed of the woman expecting a child so that the birth might 


be easy. 





There were gods for singing, gods for weaving, and Ixtab pro- 
tected those who committed suicide by hanging. The traveling mer- 
chants gave offerings to Xaman Ek, the god of the North Star, and 
to Ekchuah they offered incense every evening when on the road, 
praying for a safe return to their homes. 


The gods were many, and no common man could know their 
wants and wishes, but sought the advice of the Chilan, or priest. 
Every village had temples, or idol houses, as the Spaniards called 
them, and the Chilan studied the stars and read the sacred books. 
From these sources he was able to announce if it was a good time 
to plant the corn field, if the gods would protect the merchant on 
his voyage, and if the newborn child had come into the world on a 
lucky day. He was considered the mouthpiece of the gods, and was 
so highly esteemed that he was never allowed to walk, but was al- 
ways carried about on the shoulders of men. The community sup- 
plied him with house and food, and the chief of the village bowed to 
him and asked his advice. Four old men were elected every new 
year to assist the Chilaén with the ceremonies in the temple. 

But over the Childn stood the high priest, the Ahkin May, or 
Ahau Can Mai. All other priests paid tribute to him, and he only 
appeared in public on the most important occasions. 


MAYA PRIESTHOOD 133 


; gave advice to the great rulers and educated the younger 
sons. ._ ¢ rulers and nobles in the sciences of the nation; he wrote 
the sac ypet Eee and initiated the priests of the towns, and ex- 
amined them in ie rituals and the sciences. 


When the Ahau Can Mai stepped out in front of the altar he 
was dressed in rich costume. On his head he wore a wooden helmet 
covered with a mosaic of jade and coloured shell. From this helmet 
floated the emerald green feathers of the sacred Quetzal bird. 
Around his neck hung chains of carved jade, his nose was perforated 
and traversed by a nephrite bar, and in his ears were plugs of jade. 
He was clothed in a finely woven cotton garment held around the 
waist by a heavy belt set with carved stones. His bare wrists and 
ankles were adorned with cuffs of cut jade, and he wore elaborate 
sandals on his feet. In this gorgeous costume we see him pictured 
on the monuments, and in this costume we in our imagination see 
him give offerings to Kinich Ahau, the god of the sun, or to Yum 
Kash, the lord of the forest. 


Once great crowds gathered eagerly awaiting the word of the 
gods through the mouth of Ahau Can Mai where now thick under- 
brush covers the Plazas, and where the roots of century-old trees are 
splitting the temple walls, slowly but surely erasing the traces of a 
once mighty culture. 


Our stay at the town of Comalcalco was very delightful. The 
family with whom we boarded looked after us well. Never will we 
forget the delicious cups of steaming, foaming chocolate our hostess 
put before us—not chocolate or cocoa such as we get at home, made 
of the dry powder that remains after the cocoa butter has been 
pressed out of the bean, but a beverage made directly from the 
freshly roasted bean. No one knows how good chocolate is until he 
has tasted it in Comalcaleo. We now understand why the Spanish 
Conquerors took so eagerly to that native drink, but we do not un- 
derstand why the friars preached so energetically against it. 


Professor Tarasena, Colonel Graniel Gonzdles, and the Munici- 
pal President, Sr. Bosada, made our visit a pleasant one. Nobody 
could wish for a more cheerful gang of labourers than the one we 
had there. During the day they slashed their way through the thick 
undergrowth which covered the ruins, all the while joking and teas- 
ing one another with much laughter. But the climax of their hilarity 
came when the work was over and each man passed us by receiving 
his pay, a cigar and a small drink as a special award. 


Comalcaleco has some trade in coffee and cacao, but as the roads 
to the capital of the state are very bad, all exports and imports go 


134 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


by truck to the small port of Seiba, a distance of about ~«'t kilo- 
meters, and from there by boat to Puerto Mexico, taking out 18 
hours to cover the distance. Had we known that we could 1dke this 
short cut, we could have saved ourselves the long trip via Frontera 
and Villahermosa. 


Professor Tarasena not only helped us in our work, but also 
showed us his school. He took us through his two class rooms, where 
there were rows of small boys humming their lessons in subdued 
voices. He showed us his small printing press where he and his 
pupils print a little periodical. But his pride was his child-teachers. 
Every Mexican child had a small Indian boy as pupil. With 


SGUELA MIXTA, 





Fic. 112—Comalealco, Tab. ‘Boy teachers and their pupils. 


much pleasure we shook hands with these small teachers and their 
pupils, and took a photograph of them (fig. 112). 


From several sources we were informed that a certain Sefior 
Miguel Ceballos Saenz once had owned the land on which the ruins 
are located, and that he had collected many objects of archaeological 
interest. About the beginning of the month of March he had died. 
His family was said to have his collections, and as we naturally were 
much interested in seeing these things, we asked permission through 
our friends. But the widow flatly refused to let us come near her 
house. We tried to persuade the lady’s brothers, José and Santiago 
Fuentes, to help us, but though we approached them in the most 


INDIANS AT COMALCALCO 135 


respectiul Way, we were received with foul language and treated as 
if we 4, 4 ded to steal something. The result was that we did not 
see this collection, and left Comalcalco with the feeling that we had 
not quite completed our work there. 


The Indians who worked for us, and who constantly hailed us 
along the roads with their cheerful greetings—‘‘Buenas dias, Sefior. 
Que le vaya bien”—are a branch of the great Mayance stock, speak- 
ing a language commonly called Chontal, closely allied to true Maya. 
(See Appendix IIIT). Here at Comalcalco, however, the tall stature 
and heavy-boned strength of our workmen presented an appearance 
strikingly different from other tribes of Southern Mexico. One big 
one with laughing eyes, and a square jaw covered by a close, red 
stubble, who stood atop of Temple 1, joking about cold beer, while 
La Farge negotiated the painful scramble up to his level; or “Don 
Juan,” our head man, with a bearded profile like Othello, standing, 
legs braced, swinging with one hand a machete that we should have 
had to handle like a broadsword, showed us that here was some alien 


blood. 


In fact, this section was once a haunt of the French and English 
buccaneers, who found in the Dos Bocas River a fine hiding place 
while refitting their vessels, whether they came to trade in hides or 
sack a town. Sailors all, and a tough lot to boot, they left their 
mark on the Indians with whom, on the whole, they maintained 
friendly relations. 


Of the forty-odd men who worked for us in the course of our 
stay, three or four showed mixed gray or hazel eyes, and two had 
reddish’ brown beards, although all had the usual, stringy black 
Indian hair. Only a few were 
of the ordinary, short, small- 
boned Maya build. They 
made very good and extra- 
ordinarily cheerful workmen. 


Their houses are built of 
stick walls, with palm-thatched 
roofs. Occasionally the walls 
are also thatched. The long 
rib of a palm frond is split, 
so that the leafage of both 
sides hangs down. The whole 
frond is then attached to the wall parallel to the ground, and tied 
with vines. The corners of the houses are rounded, and the thatch- 
ing poles on the roof, which run parellel to the eaves, are carefully 
bent to carry out this curve. The roof comes further down at the 





Fic. 113—Chontal House. 


136 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


back, either in one place, to form a pent house, or all ng the 
back walls (fig. 113). 


Windows are not ordinarily used, but there are usually two doors 
and a rough division inside, cutting off the kitchen part, is common. 
The fire-place is built on a raised platform of stones and dirt. 


On our return trip to Villahermosa there was no necessity of 
making a detour, as the bridge had been repaired, so we went direct 
by the Camino Real. Near the small Santa Cruz ranch we noted a 
group of mounds arranged in a square, and one of the ranch houses 
was built on the top of a mound. 


Two days ride brought us back 
to Villahermosa. As we passed 
through Nacajuca we again slept in 
the house of Dofia Teresa, and this 
time we were received without ap- 
prehension. 


Animals had come for us from 
Villahermosa. They were a batch 
of skinny brutes, and though they 
had had several days rest in Comal- 
calco, they were barely able to carry 
us back. As a matter of fact, the 
writer had to change his animal, and 
La Farge made part of the journey 
on foot, finally arriving in Villaher- 
mosa dragging his mount along 
after him. 





While Mr. Gates was waiting for Fic. 114—Villahermosa, Tab. Front view of clay 
conferences with the Governor of head in Instituto Juarez. (45 c.m. high). 
Tabasco relative to the agronomical 
research conducted in that state by the University, we had our 
photographs from Comalcalco developed, and purchased saddles and 
pack saddles for our long ride to Guatemala which was now about 
to commence. An attempt was also made to buy mules, but here, 
like everywhere else, the supply had been cleaned out by the last 
revolution. The few mules for sale were held at very high prices. 


In the Instituto Juarez, the high school of the town, we inspected 
a small collection of antiquities, which had come from different parts 
of the state. Several of these objects showed the peculiar skill with 
which the ancient Maya modeled in clay. Among them was a large 
clay mask shown in Figs. 114-115. 


VILLAHERMOSA 1387 


We ‘ade farewell to Mr. Gates, who was returning to Tulane 
by way = Mexico City, and to Messrs. Haskell and Hartenbower, 
the Tulane agronomists, and boarded a small river boat which was 
supposed to leave for Jalapa on the Tacotalpa river. The boat was 

due to leave about noon, but 
we found ample time to have 
our dinner in town at 7:00 p. 
m. Officially there was some- 
thing wrong with the ma- 
chinery, but we _ suspected 
that the owners were not over 
anxious to leave, as their boat 
had been commandeered to 
go up the river to collect the 
local beauties for an official 
ball, and the owners foresaw 
that they would have to wait 
a long time before they got 
their pay for that trip. 


By orders of the Gover- 
nor, horses had been waiting 
for us all night in Jalapa to 
take us to Macuspana. These 
animals were so wretched that 
we rejected some of them, 
and lost much time in finding 

oe others. Then, too, our pack 

SGP itis snsress (sane ar aig, Saddles were new, and had to 

be broken in. After much 

talking and other delay we at last got underway. Two Indians on 
foot guided us along a fairly good road. 





We were still in the plains of Tabasco, but about midway to 
Macuspana we got the first glimpse of the Chiapas mountains. They 
lay in the distance beckoning us to come nearer, and warning us that 
soon we would be working hard to conquer them. 





CuaptTer VI 
ALONG THE FOOTHILLS OF CHIAPAS 


Macuspana is a long street of white-washed houses, a Plaza fur- 
rowed with trenches dug by rebels and federals, and an old Spanish 
church with grass growing on its roof and small bushes clustering 
on the balcony. It was in Macuspana that the Frenchman, Simon 
Sarlat, well known in Tabasco history, first discovered oil. He 
brought to the town the first steamer the “Pennsylvania,” which 
came up the river in 1881. He owned the land where the Aguila 
Oil Co., has drilled for a quarter of a century, getting oil, but not 
in profitable quantities. But before all, Macuspana is the home town 
of José Rovirosa, indefatigable student, and one of the few serious 
scientists of the State of Tabasco. Here he lived, and here he wrote 
his pamphlets and books on the history and botany of the State. 
One of these pamphlets called “Informe sobre la Isla de Priego,” 
printed in an edition of 500 copies by the Secretaria del Fomento, is 
now among the rarest of papers on Tabasco. In Macuspana he 
commenced what he intended to be his life work, a history of 
Tabasco, only to complete 31 pages before his death. 


It was on our program to search for information about Rovi- 
rosa, and we therefore visited Don Manuel Rovirosa, brother of the 
scientist. From him we gathered a little data on the Rovirosa 
family. We learned that José Rovirosa, grandfather of the present 
Rovirosa, was Spanish Captain General of the State, and wrote the 
State Constitution in 1824. 


The father of the present secretary of education of Mexico, Sr. 
Puig, published a small paper called “Eco de la Sierra” in Macus- 
pana. Another newspaper was also published by Natividad Rosario, 
nicknamed Bato Rosati. This latter paper was called “El Onze” 
and came out about 1880. 


In 1881 the first steamer reached Macuspana. We were present 
when the marvel of marvels, the first automobile, an old dilapidated 
Ford, ran up and down the one and only street of the town, to the 
amazement of the grown-ups, and the joy of the kids. That day 
Macuspana felt its position established among the great cities of the 
world. 

We took up quarters in the house of Don Limbano Ruiz, collec- 
tor of taxes, and proud possessor of three handsome daughters. 

139 


140 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


Since we left Comalcalco we had continuously been tr to buy 
saddle and pack animals but without success. To hire an. als was 
getting too costly, so we gave up all hopes of getting muses, and 
commenced buying horses. All kinds of old nags were dragged up 
before us when it was rumored in the village that the foreigners were 
going to buy animals, and prices went up rapidly.. We countered by 
pretending to be in no hurry to leave town, rejecting several horses, 
offering one-third of the price asked, and using “‘muleteer” language. 
And what a delightful time we had! At last we managed to collect 
seven fairly decent horses. 


There were many other things to attend to. We needed work- 
men to labor in the ruins at Tortuguero, near Macuspana. The 
president of the League of Workmen appeared. He told us that 
we must take our labourers from that league. The members of his 
organization were all town “boys,” who did not know where the 
ruins were supposed to be, and wanted $3.00 a day for doing nothing. 
Politely we refused this assistance, and secretly sent a messenger to 
the Indians at Tortuguero, advising them of our coming. 


Then we had to secure a guide for the journey, a man who could 
take care of the animals and equipment and whom we could trust. 
‘Two men were recommended. One was a Mexican named Eduardo, 
who formerly had acted as police in the oil camp. He was known 
to be a good shot and somewhat of a bad man, which is always a 
protection to the employer, as people are afraid to tackle a character 
of that sort. The other, an old Indian from San Fernando village, 
was named Lazaro Hernandez Guillermo. This man was very high- 
ly recommended as trustworthy and steady, and we therefore sent 
for him. 


Enter Tata. He came walking slowly down the village street, 
a broad-shouldered man with excellent Indian features, dressed in 
sandals, blue cotton trousers, a white cotton shirt, and a broad- 
brimmed Mexican straw sombrero. He was told of our projected 
journey, which might take him through the United States back to 
his home and might last 3 or 5 months; that we would take him on 
for trial as far as Palenque; and that we would pay him $50.00 a 
month. He answered that he liked to travel. He had a wife and 
two children, and would go out to his little house and say goodbye 
to them. Then he asked when we were leaving, and on my saying 
“tomorrow,” he answered, “Esta bueno,” “that’s all right.” ‘The 
contract was closed. 

Next morning Lazaro arrived with his traveling equipment 
packed in a small straw mat, ready, as far as he was concerned, to 
travel around the world. 


SAN FERNANDO INDIANS 141 
CUSTOMS OF SAN FERNANDO 


The Indians of San Fernando, Lazaro’s village, and of its 
neighbor, San Carlos, have managed to preserve many old and un- 
usual customs, little known to the Spanish speaking people who 
surround them. They speak a dialect of Chontal, called Yocotan 
(See Appendices III and IV), which is closely allied to Maya. 


Of all this we had no idea at the time we hired Lazaro to make 
the trip with us. Slowly, he began to unfold, as he heard us ques- 
tioning the Indians in Chiapas concerning their ways and beliefs, 
until finally, he said of his own accord that he could tell a thing or 
two in that line himself. On our way back to New Orleans, from 
Guatemala, I shared the same cabin with him and there and finally 
in New Orleans he gave me the following notes. 


The old native costume has nearly disappeared in San Fernando, 
the only thing that remains is a white sash for men, woven by the 
women. They do also make plain, black pots, of a jug shape with 
one or two handles. Lazaro admired very much the pottery at 
Amatenango in Chiapas, and took back a drawing of a large jar, 
to be copied by his sister, who is a potter. He said that she would 
be able to make the jar, but could not copy the decoration. 


The practices attending birth are as follows: When the mother 
begins to feel the pains, they send for a midwife, an old woman 
known for her ability. They give the mother a medicine com- 
pounded of an herb,* aluzena, which is bought in the stores, a fruit 
called arumero, almuzcad, manzanilla (Helenium Autumnale), 
brown sugar, and honey. Letting her rest at moments, they keep 
her moving around as much as possible, that the child may not get 
twisted. (“Para que no se aplumbe la criatura.”) They anoint 
her stomach with oil and an herb called iguera (Ricinus Communis‘?) 
and warm it with an earthenware pot full of coals. At the end they 
let her lie down. If the mother has trouble in giving birth, an herb 
called hormiguera is ground up green, fried in oil, and put on as a 
plaster. 

When the child is born, the natal chord is cut, tied up, and the 
end burnt with a tallow candle. The midwife bathes the baby in oil 
or warm water, and wipes out its mouth with cotton and fine oil. It 
is then well wrapped up, put to bed, and fed some herb tea with a 
piece of cotton. 


The regular Catholic baptism is given by the priest. 


As with most Indian tribes, marriage has little religious sigmi- 
ficance. When the young man thinks that his chances with the girl 


*Owing to the fact that we have no specimens of these herbs, only a few of them could be identified. 





142 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


are pretty good, he curries favor with her father by giving. esents. 
Some times, however, if the boy is very subject to his pa uts, or 
reluctant to make a match, his parents will do the selecting for him, 
and his father will make the presents to the girl’s father. Much 
depends on the temper of the children. After a few visits to the 
prospective father-in-law, the great question is put. He then, ac- 
cording to etiquette, delays—the girl is too young, she must choose 
for herself, she is a very good daughter to him, and so forth. All 
this indicates a desire for more gifts. Again he protests, saying that 
his daughter does not wish to marry. So it drags on for two or three 
months, a formal courtship of the father. The couple most inter- 
ested, meanwhile, have probably done their part of the arranging 
during the evenings, at the village well, or down by the river. 


The girl’s mother finally asks her if she likes the boy, and tells 
the father. Then they accept the offer, setting a date a few months 
off. 


The boy gets together the furniture and builds a house. He 
buys the material for the girl’s trousseau, which she makes up. More 
presents are made to the family, of cacao, aguardiente, corn, and © 
food. The couple registers according to Mexican law, and after the 
fortnight’s wait required by it, live together in her parents’ house 
until their own house is finished. If the boy is poor and the girl’s 
family rich, he may be required to work for them for a while. 


Funeral ceremonies are very simple. The corpse is buried in its 
clothes, wrapped in a mat. A singer called ak ‘En tesa’ is hired for 
three pesos to sing in the grave yard on the night of the burial. 
Those of the family who know the appropriate prayers, pray at in- 
tervals for nine days thereafter. When a child dies, the praying is 
accompanied by music for its benefit. Mass is said for the soul by: 
the local priest. 


Their mythology is dying out with the older men; Lazaro had 
heard very little of it. He said that there were seven heavens, 
reached by a ladder, and that the highest was the most holy. This 
is an old Maya idea. After a great flood, noh-lup, god made new 
men, all the former ones having been killed. The rest of his ma- 
terial was Christian. 


Most of their religion centers around the church, and their Christ- 
ianity is real. They pray to the saints, and to the souls of the dead, 
a-tcime -lilvua. The usual procedure is to kneel down in the church, 
pray for a while, rest, pray again, and so on, “until they get bored.” 

They retain, at the same time, a number of beliefs carried over 
from pre-Christian times. 'The more conservative Indians make of- 
ferings to the guardian of the corn field, oi-ywm -kap. This they 


SAN FERNANDO CUSTOMS 143 


call “}_ ing the account.” (ya kE-sube’ kE-cuenta, now I pay my 
accour'). They offer corn wine and aguardiente, and burn incense 
in an earthenware vessel. When they go to gather the harvest, they 
notify the guardian, and pray to him, making an offering of the first 
fruits called teux hilwa or atcumpom. If they do not thus win his 
permission, he may seize their soul. 


The medicine men, or shamans, ah-tsak, have great power, both 
as physicians and as magicians. ‘To become a shaman, a young man 
applies to an old practitioner, who feels his pulse to find out if he 
is strong enough. If he should not be, the knowledge would drive 
him crazy. For twenty years after beginning his initiation, he must 
observe celibacy, after that he may marry. The shaman is paid if 
he cures, only. He must respond to calls at any time. His pay 
depends on the length of time required for treatment. Most of the 
shamans are very well off. 


When called on to cure a sick man, the shaman asks permission 
first of the saint of the house. He calls only on the Christian gods. 
Aguardiente, balché (corn wine), and cholote (a chocolate drink) 
are placed on the house altar. He takes the sick man’s pulse, and 
wafts incense over him, then begins to pray. (Lazaro gave the 
prayers in Spanish) : 

“Jesus, Jesus, en el nombre Dios del Espiritu Santo, si es viento 
de los brujos, si es viento de los echiceros, voy 4 hojear (?) fuegos 
que tiene en la cabeza’’—“Jesus, Jesus, in the name of God of the 
Holy Ghost, if it be a wind from the magicians, if it be a wind from 
the sorcerers, I am going to drive off fires that he has in his head.” 


Then they call on the different saints, and enumerate the direct 
causes of the disease: 


9 


“Si espanto de culebra, si espant6 de perro... 

“If he was frightened by a snake, if he was frightened by a 
(ETE oan 

And so continue praying “de largo.” 


The beginning of the prayers makes the pain run around, then 
the continued praying calms it. They lance the place that hurts 
with a flake of glass chipped from a larger piece with a single blow 
of a corn sheller, after the old manner of flaking obsidian. It 
may be mentioned here that artificial glass has replaced obsidian all 
over Southern Mexico, where the volcanic glass used to be imported 
in huge quantities in pre-Columbian times. If the shaman lances a 
vein, he draws the blood by sucking through a cup made from a 
cocoanut, with a hole in the bottom of it. 


144 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


They do not lance the head if the pain is there. Instea uead 
band is applied with a poultice of oil or aguardiente with camphor, 
and if needed, herbs scalded over the coals, mixed with oil and ap- 
plied hot. The patient is given herb tea, and a jigger glass of 
aguardiente twice a day. 


If any medicine is left over from the treatment, it is bottled with 
aguardiente for future use. 


A survival of old Maya superstition appears in the insistence 
on drinking during the treatment, and in all a shaman’s ac- 
tions, before a cure is begun, a demijohn of aguardiente must be 
provided. This the shaman customarily shares with anybody who 
drops in, and even with the patient, if he “knows how to drink.” 
That means, if he has learned to drink when he was young. If he 
has not, it would be very dangerous should he begin late in life. 
When gathering their medicines, the shamans go out into the woods 
alone, and carry aguardiente in their canteens instead of water. 


This much for their doctoring, but they have other and more 
sinister powers, to be used against their enemies. If a man suddenly 
sees a-snake and is frightened, if, coming home at dusk, a dog 
startles him by running swiftly across his path, if he has dreams of 
terror, then he knows that the witch doctor is out in the woods, 
praying to trap his soul, and he has need of another shaman to come 
and pray to many saints on his side. 


He who is laying the curse sets up three crosses in the woods, of 
which the central one is the biggest. In a hole in front of each, he 
offers food, corn wine, and aguardiente, with bowls of posole, 
thriftily watered. ‘There he kneels and prays, calling on the name 
of the one whose soul he wishes to catch. This is repeated for eight 
days. Then some of the food is offered in each of the four direc- 
tions; some of the aguardiente sprinkled with a corn husk, also in 
the four directions, and on the crosses. He then drinks the rest of 
the aguardiente. 


A free translation of the main part of the curse follows. The 
sorcerer calls on the “Great Men” and ‘Great Women” of all the 


places he can think of. (See Appendix IV, Text I). 


“IT am going to capture a soul, now gods of the Earth, and our 
mothers of the earth, here, today, now, this man’s soul. I have my 
box here, I came here for that, bring me here his soul, fathers. I 
have brought food for an offering to you, our fathers, the big Men, 
gods of enchantment. The great Ones of San Cristobal, the great 
Women of San Cristébal, the great Men of Comitan, the great 
Women of Comitan, the great Men of the mountains, the great 


MACUSPANA MOUNTAIN 145 


\..) . sof the mountains, the great Women of the South-East Wind, 
the greut Men of the South- Kast Wind; now we call ye, come ye 
here 1 now; the great Women of Encanto, the great Men of Encanto, 
the great Magician- Spirits of the South-West Wind, the great 
Magician- Spirits of the North Wind. Here are offerings, here is 
rum, here is food, here is wine, here is food that I brought; come ye 
to the great sacred table.” 


By noon our animals were saddled and with both Eduardo and 
Lazaro as guides, the first pack team owned by Tulane University 
trotted out of Macuspana. Hardly had we struck the trail before 
a heavy shower began, and when we reached the banks of the Macus- 
pana river, the rain was coming down like water out of a fireman’s 
hose. It was a dirty job to unload the animals. We, they, and our 
packing cases all slid down the steep bank of the river to the water’s 
edge. Indians ferried us over in a large “dugout” canoe. By the 
time we had got our equipment up in a hut on the other bank we 
were covered with mud from head to heel, and decided to stop right 
there over night. We hung up our hammocks in the large main 
room of the hut, got dry clothes out of our boxes, and gladly ac- 
cepted a drink of warming rum from our Indian hosts. Two young 
and pretty Indian girls watched our toilette through cracks in the 
stick wall, and afterwards got much amusement in watching La 
Farge make corn beef hash on their fireplace. 


Out of the morning mist loomed the Macuspana mountain ahead 
of us. This mountain is one of the outposts of the Chiapas Moun- 
tain Range, which runs from the northwest to the southeast. ‘The 
main geological fault lmes through Chiapas run in this direction. 
The Usumacinta River, which forms the boundary between Mexico 
and Guatemala, is an exception. It runs at right angles to the main 
bearing. 


The Macuspana Mountain gradually rises in the northwest out 
of the Tabasco plain, and ends near Tortuguero in a vertical wall 
which is sometimes called Buena Vista or Gavilan Blanco. Right 
at the southeastern point of the mountain are located the ruins which 
we were to visit. 


Before reaching the mountain we passed through a picturesque, 
narrow cafion which cuts through a low front range of hills. This 
range forms something like a Woiene wall behind which the ruins 
are protected. 


Arriving at a small ranch house we found that our messenger 
had collected a gang of Indians ready for work. As we were hungry, 


146 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


we ordered a meal to be prepared before we should visit «/ag ruins. 
This took much time, and when it finally was ready we iound that 
it consisted of the toughest “pollo” we had encountered on the whole 
trip. 

The ruins at Tortuguero were first reported by a Mexican Gen- 
eral, Ramirez Garrido,* who visited them in 1915. He gives a short 
description of them in his book, and launches the theory that they 
are the ruins of the town Tepetitan, where Cortes halted on his ex- 
pedition to Honduras in 1524. The data on which General Garrido 
based his supposition is very meagre. Further research has disclosed 
that it is more probable that Cortes passed the town at a distance of 
about 20 miles to the north of Tortuguero, and did not even hear of 
the buildings, which then must have been abandoned and in decay. 


In May, 1922, the writer was in Tortuguero, and there located 
a stela which Mr. Garrido had overlooked on his visit. A drawing 
of this was made and sent to Dr. S. G. Morley, of the Carnegie 
Institution of Washington. He read the two uppermost hieroglyphs 
as the date 1 Ahau 3 Kankin, end Tun 13, or in full Maya notation, 
9-10-13-0-0, 1 Ahau 8 Kankin, or, according to Dr. H. J. Spinden’s 
correlation of the Maya and Gregorian Calendars, January 21, 386 
A. D. 


To go into a detailed description of the Maya numerical and 
calendar systems would take us too far afield, and is outside the 
scope of this report. However, a short explanation, so that the 
reader may get an idea of the simplicity of the Maya numerals and 
excellence of their astronomical observations, may be in order. In 
astronomy the ancient Maya excelled, and it is only recently that 
through Dr. Spinden’s and Dr. Morley’s investigations, we have 
come to realize fully that the Maya were the foremost astronomers 
of the world at their time. 


The simplest way of giving a comprehensive idea is to summarize 
a few facts: 


The Romans used an elaborate system of counting with many 
signs: I, V, X, L, D, C, M, and did not have a zero, which made 


their counting very cumbersome. 


The Arabic decimal system now in universal use has ten signs: 
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 0, zero. These signs are grouped together 
in different positions, and their value depends on their position in 
relation to each other. Let us take an example: 1,328,897. Start- 





*Garrido, Ramirez, 1922—Blom, F., 1923—Blom, F., 1924. 


MAYA NUMBERS 147 


ing from the right and going towards the left we find the following 
values for the numbers: 


1 times 1,000,000 equals 1,000,000 
3 times 100,000 equals 300,000 
2 times 10,000 equals 20,000 
8 times 1,000 equals 8,000 
8 times 100 equals 800 
9 times 10 equals 90 
7 times 1 equals 7 

1,328,897 


We note that the values rise in the following order: 1, 10, 10 x 
10, 10 x 100, 10 x 1,000 and so on. Our system is a decimal system, 
with the value of the numbers depending upon their position from 
right to left, in a horizontal line. 


The Maya numerals have but two signs: a dot for one, and a 
bar for five. Two dots are two; three dots, three; one bar, five; two 
bars, ten. ‘Two bars and two dots stand for twelve. They counted 
in groups of 20. Theirs was a vigesimal system. Just as we do, 
they gave value to their signs by position, but in a vertical line, 
counting from the bottom up with the lowest value standing at the 
bottom of the column. The number explained above in our nu- 
merical system would be written by the Maya as follows: 


equals 8 times 160,000 or 1,280,000 
equals 6 times’ 8,000 or 48,000 


equals 2 times 400 or 800 

. equals 4 times 20 or 80 
-- equals 17 times 1 or 7 
1,328,897 


This system was used for counting objects such as cacao beans, 
jade beads, ete. 

The system was modified for use in the calendar by dividing the 
solar year of 365 days into groups of twenty days each, as nearly as 
this could be done under the rules of the straight vigesimal system. 
This resulted in the division of the year into 18 months of 20 days 
each, with a five day week at the end of the year, giving a total of 
365 days to a year. 


This last five-day week of the year was considered evil by the 
Maya, and was thought to bring bad luck. 


148 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


Our calendar count starts with the birth of Christ. We count 
backwards or forwards from this point. ‘The Bible sets as the 
mythical date for the creation of the world the date 4004 years 
B. C. The starting point of the Maya time-count was a mythical 
date falling on 3,373 B. C., probably the date they set for the crea- 
tion of the world. ‘They counted time from this point in groups of 
400 years, called Baktun, in minor groups of 20 years called Katun, 
in years called Tun, in months called Uinal, and in days called Kin. 


Though the following example is not strictly scientific, it serves 
the purpose of popular explanation. Let us look at the Maya date 
found in the Temple of Two Lintels at Chichen Itza in Yucatan. 


Maya NoratTIon. SPINDEN CORRELATION 
11-7-12-16-18 9 Eznab 11 Kankin. May 19, 1109, A. D. 
(11 Baktun) 11 groups of 400 years, plus 1 millenium, plus 
~ 1 centenium, plus 
, 2 
( 7 Katun) 7 groups of 20 years, plus 0 decenium, plus 
(12 Tun) 12 years, plus 9 years, plus 
(16 Uinal) 16 months, plus 5 months, plus 
(18 Kin) 18 days from the Maya 19 days from our 
starting point. starting point. 


It is only the question of which calendrical system you have been 
taught to use. One is as simple as the other. 


The Maya undoubtedly selected 20 as their first higher unit, 
because they counted both fingers and toes. Twenty was a number 
which, to them, represented the complete person. For example in 
the Tzeltal count, the number Che-Uinic, is equivalent to 40. Che 
means two, and Uinic, man; hence, the Che-Uinic signifies two men, 
or twice 20—that is, 40. The decimal and the vigesimal systems of 
counting by position are based on the same idea, and are different 
only in development. The sign Zero is essential in both systems, as 
it also is essential to any kind of elaborate calculation. 


Professor Kroeber discusses the sign zero in his book “Anthro- 
pology,” 1923, and we take the liberty of quoting him verbatim: 


“It is interesting that of the two inventions of zero, the Maya 
one was the earlier. The arithmetical and calendrical system of 
which it formed part was developed and in use by the time of the 
birth of Christ. It may be older; it certainly required time to de- 
velop. The Hindus may have possessed the prototypes of our nu- 
merals as early as the second century after Christ, but as yet with- 
out the zero, which was added during the sixth or according to some 
authorities not until the ninth century. This priority of the Maya 


MAYA CALENDAR 149 


must weaken the arguments sometimes advanced that the ancient 
Americans derived their religion, zodiac, art, or writing from Asia. 
If the zero was their own product, why not the remainder of the 
progress also? The only recourse left the naive migrationist would 
be to turn the tables and explain Egyptian and Babylonian civiliza- 
tions as due to a Maya invasion from Yucatan.” 


We now turn to the calendar. This is the most outstanding fea- 
ture of Maya science. By a combination of day-names and num- 
bers and month-names, and numbers in connection with the time 
count from the beginning of their reckoning, the Mayas were able 
to designate a day in such a way that it could not be mistaken for 
any other day through a period of over 370,000 years. The Aztecs 
who came after the Maya picked up some of the features of the 
Maya calendar, but as they did not fully understand this magnificent 
system, they were unable to fix dates with any certainty except 
within their cycle of fifty-two years. This led to a complete con- 
fusion of sequence in their chronology. 


The Maya astronomer did not concern himself with observing the 
sun alone. He took minute observations of the moon also, as well 
as of Venus, and other heavenly bodies. Those interested in the 
details of this calendar system are advised to consult Dr. S. G. 
Morley’s book “An Introduction to the Maya Hieroglyphs,” and 
the recent work by Dr. Spinden, “The Correlations of Mayan 
Dates.” In this latter book Dr. Spinden gives his correlation be- 
tween Mayan dates and the Gregorian calendar, which we follow 
here. 


We venture to make two further points before resuming the 
record of the journey. 


Astronomy is based on observations of the heavenly bodies. 
These observations have to be conducted not only throughout a life- 
time, but through generations, and even centuries. The observa- 
tions must be recorded so that they can be checked and corrected. 
Exact astronomy is not possible, therefore, without a numerical 
system and characters with which to write down the observations. 


The second point we wish to make is that when the Spaniards 
arrived in Yucatan in 1527, they were using the Julian calendar, 
and as this was not astronomically correct, they were 10 days be- 
hind true solar time. It was not until 1582 that the Gregorian 
calendar was adopted. This means that the calendar which we 
follow today has not been in use more than 344 years. The Spaniards 
did not recognize the scientific abilities of the people they conquered. 
Not until a few years ago did we begin to understand that the Maya 
at the time of the Conquest used a calendar far superior to the Old 


150 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


World calendar, and had used this calendar without inter: — tion for 
more than 2,000 years. ‘Two thousand years as against three hun- 
dred and forty-four years! ‘This is certainly an amazing evidence 
of the skill of a so-called semi-civilized race. 


Let us go a little further. We have records of astronomic ob- 
servations in the Old World from a time before the birth of Christ 
up to 1582, when the calendar was perfected. We can safely say 
that it took the Old World over 2,000 years to reach the present 
calendar system. 


Elsewhere in this volume we described our journey through the 
Tuxtla region and there had occasion to refer to the Tuxtla Statuette 
and to the fact that upon it is carved the oldest known date found 
on the American continent. ‘This date is the year 98 B. C. That 
means that the Maya in 98 B. C., must have already perfected. their 
calendar. If we assign the Old World 2,000 years in which to per- 
fect their calendar, why not allow the Maya the same time? May 
we not imagine the Maya groping their way towards the attainment 
of the highest aboriginal American civilization, over a thousand 
years before Christ? 


However, we must return to our description of the ruins of 
Tortuguero. At the foot of the vertical cliff of the Cerro de Macus- 
pana, facing towards the northeast, les a row of terraces and 
mounds built of rough limestone blocks without any mortar to bind 
them. Huge limestone blocks which have fallen down from the cliff 
lie scattered among the artificial mounds. The ancient builders 
availed themselves of the talus of the mountain in constructing their 
terraces, apparently without any attempt to orient the buildings to 
the cardinal points. The map (fig. 116) shows the main portion of 
the ruins. ‘There are no standing buildings, but on several mounds 
walls are still seen. To the north we have Mound I, on which stands 
a wall. At the foot of the northwestern corner of this mound lies 
a squared limestone slab, 1.94 meters long, 85 ¢.m. broad, and 15 
em. thick. In one corner this slab has a circular perforation. A 
stairway once led from the mound down to the Plaza on the eastern 
side, and in the middle of this stairway is a small terrace on which 
is located a circular undecorated altar, 1.16 meters in diameter and 
BO Cu TOLei 


On Mound II are walls badly ruined but indicating that here 
once stood a building probably with stone walls and palm roof. 
There is not enough debris to show that the building had a stone 
roof. Mounds ITI and IV do not show any signs of structures, but 
behind mounds V and VI we again find walls. These two latter 
mounds lie on the sides of a small Plaza, and here we find three 


TORTUGUERO RUINS 151 


fragmen|. 0f monuments, Monuments Nos. 2, 8, and 4. To these 
we will réturn later. 


Going in a northeastern direction from the aforesaid small Plaza 
we climb down several terraces and badly ruined stairways until we 
reach a small hummock on which lies Stela No. 1. This is a stone 
column, 2.30 meters high and 65 c.m. broad. The back and sides 
are plain, but on the front are eight cartouches containing hiero- 
glyphs. Under these is carved in low relief an animal, probably a 
jaguar, with somewhat humanized features. The hieroglyphic in- 
scription reads as follows: 1 Ahau, 3 Kankin, End Tun 13. Mor-. 
ley read this as 9-10-13-0-0 1 Ahau 8 Kankin, which, according to 
Spinden’s correlation, is January 21, 386 A. D. Further down the 
inscription we find an addition of 1 Tun, 14 Uinal and 10 Kin, 
which brings us to the date 9-10-14-14-10, 1 Oc 3 Yax, November 
1, 387 A. D. 


Al 1 Ahau 
Bla 3 Kankin 
Blb LSet 
A2a Q 
A2b End sign and hand. 
B2 Q 
A3 Q 
BBa 10 Kin, 14 Uinal 
B3b Teun 
B38c ec 
B3d 3 Kankin 
A4 Q 
Béa Tet 
B4b Tee 
BAe 8 ? 
Bad Q 
9-10-13- 0- 0 1 Ahau 8 Kankin (January 21, 386 A. D.) 
1-14-10 


9-10-14-14-10 1 Oc 8 Yax (November 1, 387 A. D.) 


The glyphs are crude in form and undoubtedly were executed 
at an early date. Between the first date and the second are exactly 
214 Tzolkins, or 214 rounds of the Maya Ritual Calendar of 260 days. 


152 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


A crack runs through the center of the monument that we 
were afraid of turning it up on the side and had to make photo- 
graphs as best we could. At the same time a drawing was made 
which is given in Fig. 117. 


Monument No. 2 was probably likewise a Stela. It lies on the 
small plaza which is in front of Mound No. VI and is carved in the 
form of a serpent’s body. ‘Top and bottom is broken off. On the 
remaining part are cartouches of hieroglyphs. On the front are 
five blocks of glyphs containing an Initial Series. On the back are 





Large Stone Tablet 











Part of the Ruins by 
"TORTUGUERO- 
THBASE® 






































Fic. 116—Tortuguero, Tab. Map of the Ruins. 


five more glyph blocks and the half of a sixth. The sides of the 
monument are carved to represent the belly scales and diamond de- 
sign of a snake skin. This monument is 1.60 meters high, 30 c.m. 
broad, and 26 cm. thick. The hieroglyphs are badly effaced. None 
the less it is plain that the glyph in A1 is an introducing glyph. In 
A2a there is a plain 9 Baktun. A2b shows 9 or 14 Katun. A2c is 
O Tun, and A2d O Uinal. This is followed by A8a which is clearly 
O Kin and A2b showing a 6 Ahau. This gives only two possible 
readings, 9-1-0-0-0 6 Ahau 13 Yaxkin, or 9-14-0-0-0 6 Ahau 13 
Muan. The latter of these readings (February 3, 452 A. D.) is the 


TORTUGUERO RUINS 153 


most likely and is the one suggested by Dr. Morley when he visited 
Tulane University, in October, 1925, to study the results of the ex- 
pedition (fig. 118). 


Monument No. 3 is a human figure 
with the head and legs below the knees 
gone. Around its neck is a necklace. 
Its’ arms are held close to the body. 
From its girdle a sash hangs down in 
front. Apparently hieroglyphs were 
carved on the front of this sash, but 
they are now so badly weathered that 
they could not even be drawn. The 
remaining part of this figure is 1.10 
meters high and 44 em. broad (fig. 
119). 


Monument No. 4 is a smoothly cut 
stone shaft about 1 meter high which 
used to stand on a small elevation on 
the eastern edge of the Plaza. 


Though we made careful search, no 
monuments were located in the im- 
mediate neighborhood of the ruins. 
Those found gave us two dates, as 
shown above, one, 387 A. D., and the 
other, 452 A. D.; which proves that 
Tortuguero is an Old Empire city, 
contemporaneous with Palenque. Fur- 
thermore, it is the most western Maya 
city in which dated monuments have 
been found. 


At the foot of the hillside on which 
the main structures are located are 
now a series of Indian corn fields. In 
these we found several minor mounds 
grouped around Plazas. On the 
ground were a large quantity of pot 
sherds. These were all of Old Empire 
type, and were fragments partly of 
pots and partly of clay figurines (fig. 
120). 

In a day’s hard work we completed 
a rough plan of the ruins made by 
Be 1ifetertlgidto abe steia 4 Ceetaking’ -comipass! bearings 7and=pacine 





154 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


the distances, and we also made a set of drawings of the monuments. 
Then we returned to our Indian hut to make preparations for con- 
tinuing our journey. 


It was quite early in the morning of the sixth of May when we 
entered the trail leading in a southeasterly direction towards Salto 


0100 
Dae 


© 


ee 
Ss 





Fic. 118—Tortuguero, Tab. Stela 2. 


de Agua in the State of Chiapas. At first we followed level ground. 
In the distance we could see the Cerro de Macuspana, and before 
long the real foot-hills of the big mountains came in sight. Our 
Indians told us that there were many caves in these mountains, and 


ZOPO CAVE 155 


that clay idols and potsherds had been found there. The most im- 
portant of the caves is La Cueva del Zopo, the one 
we were headed for. 


The trail led us up a series of narrow ridges, 
and winding in and out we followed these. At a 
settlement called Buena Vista we encountered all 
the inhabitants out in the corn fields, waging a 
fierce battle with great swarms of locusts. These 
pests were abundant, but now the Indians are 
learning from the Mexican Government how to 
destroy them. In some places we saw entire corn 
fields razed by them. 





As the top of a sugar loaf mountain came in 
Fe z view to our right, our guide told us that the cave 
1g. 119 — Tortuguero, ° . 
Tab. Stela 3. we were looking for was near it. At the settlement 
Rivera del Zopo, we acquired another guide who 
said he could lead us to the cave. He first took us through some 
appallingly thick undergrowth to a place where he proposed that 
we camp. But there was no water so we went on, and finally came 
upon a small corn shed close to a diminutive stream. As this place 
had shelter, though poor, and water, though little, we decided to 
stop. Our guide had a small hut nearby, and we tried to buy eggs 
and corn from him. The poor man had none, or at least so he said. 
He did not seem very pleased at our stopping so near his hut. 


We reached this camp around noon, and as soon as we had eaten 
lunch we set out in search of the cave. The guide took us for an 
afternoon’s walk over very rough ground. He brought us to a near- 
ly vertical limestone wall under which were several small caves, but 
not the big one of which we were in search. 
We followed the wall for a long distance 
without luck, and finally returned to camp 
very tired, with our shoes and hands badly 
cut by the sharp limestone blocks we had 
crawled over in vain. We had contracted 
with the guide to pay him if he brought us yy eee in Paine 
to the cave, so when we told him “No 
cave, no cash,” he grumbled a good deal, but finally sent his small 
son out to find a new guide for us for the following morning. 





Several years ago the Mexican Government Inspector of Ruins 
in Macuspana had extracted from the Zopo cave some large clay 
tubes with the faces of gods modeled on their surfaces. He also 


156 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


found a large quantity of flint tools and fragments of small pottery 
vessels. The collection was shipped to Mexico City. As no data 
had been collected as to how the cave looked and under what con- 
ditions the find was made we planned a visit to this cave on our 
original itinerary for the expedition. 

The roof of our small shack looked very leaky, so we covered it 
up with our rubber ponchos, and the “boys” curled up on the floor 
under our hammocks for the night. 


In the morning our new guide appeared, and we were again led 
up to the limestone wall we had investigated on the previous day. 
At one place there was a very steep climb, and following him up 
this we came to a small natural terrace, and then to another vertical 





Ldols. 


ALN ee 
wa — 
Rig oe 
SS 


Zopo Cave 


TTI 


TARASCO 





Fic. 121—Zopo Cave, Tab. 


wall. There at the foot of this wall was a small hole, the cave we 
were looking for. Lanterns were lit, and we crawled inside. Soon 
we saw that the entrance had once been much larger, and had been 
closed up with a wall in ancient times. Inside were two terraces, 
and a steep descent to the bottom of the cave. It was on these ter- 
races that the clay idols had been found. The first investigators had 
taken all the larger objects away, but left several fragments of pot- 
tery at the mouth of the cave. We also found a lot of sherds, all 
showing traces of blue paint, and some fragments of bones. Some 
of these were the shells of turtles and there were also a few splinters 
of human bones. The son of the first explorer, whom we had been 


ZOPO CAVE 157 


so fortunate as to get hold of, showed us where the idols had been 
found. He told us that they had also found part of a human skull 
with a few teeth, one of which had an inlay of jade (fig. 121). 


Whether this cave had been used for burial purposes, or as a 
sanctuary to the mountain god is not easy to say. The first seems 
the more probable. as the entrance appears to have been entirely 
closed, and only opened quite recently by the washing out of some 
of the stones in the closing wall. 





Fic. 122—Zopo Cave, Tab. Clay Cylinder No. 1. Fig. 123—-Zopo Cave, Tab. Clay Cylinder No. 2. 
(80 e.m. high). (76 c.m. high). 


One cannot help wondering how many such sealed caves may 
still be found in the Maya area. It would certainly be interesting 
to find such a cave undisturbed by treasure seekers and pot hunters. 


The three large clay cylinders found in the Zopo cave are all 
about 75 centimeters high, have a circular hole in the middle, are 
plain on the backs, with a face on the front. No. 1 shows a human 
face with a scroll typical of the God of the Number Seven, or 
seventh cycle (according to Spinden) over its nose. The eyes are 


158 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


large and bulging, and on its head is a helmet composed of two 
grotesque faces of long-nosed gods (fig. 122). 


No. 2 has the grotesque face of the long-nosed god as shown on 
the helmet of No. 1, with bulging eyes and open jaws. Various 
parts of the ornamentation is made by applying lumps of clay to the 
smooth surface of the cylinder (fig. 123). 


The best preserved cylinder is No. 8. A human face is set in the 
jaws of a grotesque monster. The features of this face are well 
: modeled, and a superficial impression is 
that of Mongolian features. By close 
examination one will see that the high 
cheek bones of the Mongoloid are lacking 
though the outside corners of the eyes are 
drawn up. We know that the ancient 
Maya considered it a mark of beauty to 
be cross-eyed, and it is the writer’s belief 
that the artists who made this face in- 
tended to show that his model was cross- 
eyed. He attained this effect by letting 
the ball of the eye bulge a little towards 
the nose. On a second examination of the 
face, the mongoloid traits vanish, and 
there is no doubt but that the model was 
cross-eyed (fig. 124). 


When we reached camp about noon 
our men had loaded the pack animals and 
after a hasty luncheon we again mounted 
and soon gained the main trail to Salto de 
Agua. We were still in the State of Ta- 
basco. Not until we had passed through 
the Indian village of Pueblo Nuevo, did 
we enter the Chiapas territory. The trail 
Fic. 124 Zope Cave, Tab. Clay Cyt Jed us to the Fines, Liumijayeamageeses 

along the banks of the Tulija River. 

We were on the Camino Real now, recently cleared by the in- 
habitants, so progress was rapid, and soon the drilling tower of well 
No. 1, belonging to the International Oil Co., near La Crusada, 
loomed up over the bush. We rode past this, and up in front of the 
office of the German-American Coffee Company. 





La Crusada is the general shipping point for Salto de Agua, a 
short distance away. It is the last point which the river steamers can 
reach during the dry season, and most of the products of the moun- 


SALTO DE AGUA 159 


tain country behind Salto are shipped from here to Frontera on the 
Mexican Gulf. 


The International Oil Company started drilling here some years 
ago, but have temporarily abandoned this location in favor of one 
further in towards the mountains. Our friend, Mr. C. A. Campbell, 
chief engineer of the company, had left word for us to come to the 
company’s camp. Shortly after we received this message, he him- 
self arrived to receive us. We left our animals and equipment in 
care of our trusty Lazaro, and rode through the town of Salto and 
along a good road built by the oil people. Here we felt that we 
were again in contact with modern activities. Trucks and tractors 
moved there on the edge of the wilds as if that were quite the normal 
and accepted order of things. 


As we rode out of Salto we met the first Tenejapa Indians we 
had seen, sturdy and dirty mountaineers who had come down from 
their towns with cargoes of goods carried over bad trails on their 
backs. They were of great interest to us, as we knew that before 
many weeks we would be living among them. 


Once in the oil camp, we made a bee-line for the shower. A 
bath in a bathroom was a luxury after swimming in dirty rivers. 
Then a splendid meal, and afterwards while the sun was setting, 
we sat on the porch of one of the bungalows and swapped yarns with 
our American friends. 


Down on our left lay the Tabasco lowlands and to our right and 
in front of us lay range after range of mountains: Chiapas, the 
promised land of Ruins and Indians. 


That night we slept in b-e-d-s covered with real s-h-e-e-t-s, and it 
took three calls for breakfast and much noise on a gong before we 
were willing to leave such comfort. After further luxury in the form 
of a huge breakfast we mounted again and rode down to Salto de 
Agua, to take up quarters with Don Federico Martens, a German 
trader. He has for years had a large store in Salto, and we in- 
tended to refill our somewhat reduced supplies from his stock. We 
also had to have all our animals shod, as we were now getting near 
the rocky mountain trails. 


Don Federico is a large, jovial man. He at once placed his 
house and his supply of excellent Tabasco rum at our disposal. It 
is hard to say which of the two is the largest. In the new wing of 
his establishment we were assigned a room, the walls and furniture 
of which were entirely of thick, hand-cut, mahogany boards. On the 
porch were immense tables and chairs carved out of the roots of 
mahogany trees. They looked as if each weighed a ton or two. 


160 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


From Don Federico we heard the story of the vicissitudes of the 
town of Salto de Agua. He came to this place many years ago when 
some American companies, “booming” the surrounding country, 
were advertising it as the finest rubber land in the world. There is 
hardly any doubt that it is good land for rubber, but the companies 
which worked then were more eager to sell shares than to plant 
rubber. Millions of dollars, the investment of credulous people who 
expected to get rich over-night, were thrown away at this place. 
Now all that remains of these lost hopes and many tears are the 
American names of certain plantations, such as Philadelphia, Iowa, 
and others. 


After the “Robber” people, came the Coffee people, who seemed 
more in earnest. They opened roads and planted coffee, only 
to see much of their work lost in revolutions. In spite of un- 
stable political conditions, these companies still operate, though they 
do not produce anything like the amount of coffee they had hoped 
to. Long strings of pack mules are constantly coming down over 
the mountain trails loaded with bulky sacks of precious beans. 


Salto de Agua lies just at the point where the Tulija river 
leaves the mountains. Just above the town the river forms some 
rapids and water falls, and from this the town gets its name. In 
the country behind the first mountain range are huge tracts of ma- 
hogany land, and far up the Tulija lies the Finca Encanto, the 
headquarters of the Esperanza Timber Co., an American concern. 
We were to go to this place, but by another route. 


One of the main trails from Tabasco to the interior of ite 
Chiapas highlands goes through Salto de Agua, and travellers con- 
stantly pass through the place. 


Our host, Don Federico, was a remarkable man, and has been 
in Mexico over 20 years, has read much, and loves to ventilate his 
theories, also to take a drink. There is always a huge demijohn of 
Habanero (Tabasco rum) at hand, and he has no small glasses in 
the house, so we thought it best for our health to leave the next day. 


Our friend, Mr. Campbell, of the International, was on a trip 
of inspection of the company’s camps at Salto and Palenque. As 
we were going the same way he decided to join us. With his five 
animals and our seven we crossed the Tulija river during the morn- 
ing. One of our animals turned a somersault down the slippery 
river bank, and—fortunately—landed unhurt on all four feet right 
at the water’s edge. 


For some hours our trail ran parallel to the mountains. Then we 
came out on an open savanna, and at last reached the dilapidated 
bungalows of the once infamous rubber plantation, Lowa. 


EL RETIRO RUINS 161 


We burst right into the midst of a celebration. The Mexican 
ranch foreman was celebrating his own saint’s day chiefly by dis- 
pensing frequent drinks to some friends, and though he was a per- 
fect host, he did not forget to include himself each time. The house 
was decorated with streamers of coloured paper. We were invited 
to make ourselves at home in one of the rooms, but owing to the 
proximity of the party, we preferred to take up quarters in an aban- 
doned, half-rotten storehouse. It would not do to hurt the host’s 
feelings, so we had to swallow a little of a liquor which made us 
realize why certain kinds of rum are called “firewater.” 


After having settled in our quarters and had a meal, we amused 
ourselves watching our host and his besotted guests trying to shoe 
a horse. They swore profusely, whipped the poor beast, got kicked 
all over the place, and finally had to give it up. 


For years there have been rumors abroad that a mystery city 
hes buried in the forests not far from the Finca Iowa: hence our 
visit. From the somewhat incoherent conversation of the ranch 
foreman we understood that, years before, he had been in a large 
stone building some miles distant from the ranch house in the trop- 
ical forest covering the mountain sides south of us. He also said 
that there was a stone tablet on the back wall of one of the rooms 
and that signs like those at Palenque were drawn on this tablet. 


Late in the evening we got hold of a guide, who confirmed the 
information we had received from the foreman. Hopes therefore ran 
high when we got up the next morning about 5 a. m., hurriedly 
swallowed our breakfast and jumped in the saddle. A ride of one- 
half hour brought us to some Indian huts near La Colmena where 
we left our horses and secured some men to cut bush for us at the 
ruins. In a canoe we paddled a short distance up the Michol, 
a small river which begins near Palenque, runs along the foot of the 
first mountain range, and empties into the Tulija, a little below 
Salto de Agua. 


We left the canoe.at Brinca Zoro and proceeded on foot. It was 
a tough climb up to the hut of an Indian named Florencio Ramirez. 
We were eager to reach the mystery city, eager to see if the story 
of the inscribed tablet was true. At the hut we got a drink of 
water and again dived into the forest. About eight o’clock we began 
to see signs of man’s handiwork—crumbling walls and terraces, and 
then we came in sight of the southern end wall of the temple. We had 
been walking fast, so we rested for a moment. It was a moment of 
high tension—the temple was there. Now, what about the tablet? 


Then we broke our way through the bush to the front of the build- 
ing. Alas, we were too late! Not many months before a monstrous 


162 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


cedar tree had fallen right on the center of the temple. The main door 
and the whole central part of the building had been crushed under 
the weight of the forest giant, and the tablet lay buried under many 
tons of stone and mortar. 


It was no use crying over spilt milk. So we at once got out 
compasses and measuring tapes, and while Mr. Campbell, whom we 
had dragged along to share our joy, and who now shared our dis- 
appointment, supervised the work of the Indians busy clearing away 
the bush, we set to work to measure the temple and make a ground 
plan of the ruins (fig. 125). 

The group includes only one standing building, which faces east. 


It is located on an upper terrace, from which a stairway leads down 
towards the north, to a lower terrace. In ancient times the temple 


El Retiro, Chiapas 


By Finca Iowa- 
Scale 1.2000 





Fic. 125—-E] Retiro, Chis. Map of the Ruins. 


must have looked out over the lowlands now entirely hidden by 
forest. ‘The lower terrace ends towards the north in a large trun- 
cated pyramid, facing south, on top of which are the ruins of an- 
other structure. 


The temple is of the type common to that region. Its walls are 
very thick. Inside, are two parallel galleries running north-south. 
The facade of the building is divided into three doors by two square 
pillars on which were once figures in stucco relief. Inside the back 
room is a separate small building, a sanctuary, similar to those in 
Palenque. It is inside this sanctuary that our guides said the in- 
scribed tablet was seen. It occupied the front of a small altar, 


EL RETIRO RUINS 163 


which they described as something lke a writing desk (como un 
escritorio). ‘They said that there were two rows of signs. 


We removed some blocks of stone, hoping to be able to penetrate 
into the interior of the sanctuary, but without success. A small door 
was disclosed on the northern side of the sanctuary, but otherwise 
the interior was block- 
ed up by debris. The 
destruction wrought by : 
the big tree had been | 
very complete, and it! 
would have required | 
several days’ work and 
more men than we had, | 


to expose the whole of , 
the sanctuary. 


While removing 7 
some of the debris we 
found two corn grind- 
ing stones and one 
pestle of the type com- 
mon in Maya ruins. 


Tie sceiling) of the 


corridors formed a cor- 
belled vault, and their 


span is somewhat ja 7 
larger than usual, as i 
will be seen from the 


drawings given in Fig. 
126. Beam sockets are 
found in the slopes of 
the vault, and the cap- 
stones are very broad. 
The walls are covered 
with nicely polished 
stucco. 

Several air holes, 
or small windows per- 
forate the exterior a 
walls. All these have . 
been closed by slabs i 
from the outside. 
Those which are open 


now show signs of once ; we 
; Fic. 126--E! Retiro, Chis. Ground plan and section o e 
having been closed. ie ce remple. Scale 1200. 











Scale I:200 


164 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


The roof slope is of Palenque type, and on the center of the roof 
stands a roof-comb, 1 meter high, and 2.25 meters broad at the bot- 
tom. This comb is slightly narrower at the top and is formed by 
two parallel walls. 


From the entrance to the temple a stairway leads down to the 
upper Plaza. At the foot of this stairway is a small circular altar, 
without carving. ‘Three more small circular altars stretch in a row 
across the middle of the Plaza. 


It was very disappointing not to find any inscriptions by which 
we would be able to date the building. A future explorer, who is 
fortunate enough to have a permit from the Mexican Government 
to excavate the building may have more luck than we did. By com- 
parison with other buildings in the surrounding area, we are inclined 
to believe that the temple was not erected before 9-12-0-0-0 of the 
Maya count. In construction it is very similar to the Palenque 
temples, and the width of the galleries rather indicate that it was 
built at a somewhat later date. 


The Indians call this place El Retiro, so we gave this name to 
the ruins, though we really felt more inclined to name them El 
Engafio, the disappointment. The ruins lie S-78-E from the finca. 


One of our guides said that some large pyramids are situated 
several leagues further into the forest. He had been there once, but 
had not seen any buildings. Should the entire mountain range be- 
tween Salto de Agua and Palenque be explored, several highly in- 
teresting discoveries would undoubtedly result. 


Having completed our work at this interesting spot, we returned 
to the ranch and made preparations to leave that same night. Be- 
tween Iowa and Palenque Village, our next stop, are large savannas, 
with clusters of bush and low trees. During the dry season it is an 
extremely exhausting trip both for men and animals across these 
savannas during the heat of the day, so, as there was a full moon, 
we decided to make the journey by night. 


The ranch foreman had now sobered up. About 8:30 in the 
evening we mounted. He led us out to the main trail. It was pitch 
dark. As soon as we came to the spot where the trail plunged into 
the forest, the amiable foreman took his departure and left us to 
shift for ourselves. We advanced step by step, depending upon our 
animals to find the trail. Presently we came to a telephone line 
which we had been told to follow. That led us into some bad under- 
brush, but the moon commenced to climb up over the horizon, and 
its light helped us to find our way through to the main trail between 
Salto de Agua and Palenque. From then on it was easy going. The 


EL RETIRO RUINS 165 


trail was lined with thick bush and large elephant-ear plants, which 
took the most fantastic forms in the ight of the moon. It is always 
pleasant to travel by moonlight; the surroundings are merged into 
a vague, olive-green obscurity, in which the outlines of things are 
beautifully blurred. Small animals hunting at night often came out 
on the trail, followed it for a little way, became frightened, and dis- 
appeared again into the black bush. Jor the most “part it was cool, 
and in ee ground, even chilly. Dew glittered on the leaves, and 
at times there came from the savanna a breath of warm air, often 
heavy with the smell of burnt grass. 


About midnight we reached the open savanna. ‘The trail lay be- 
fore us like a white ribbon in the yellow, dry grass. We advanced 
slowly, as we knew that we had a long trip ahead of us and did not 
want to exhaust the animals. 


Two of our boys were supposed to know the trail, but they 
promptly misled us. We wandered along for some hours, not feel- 
ing in the best of humor, until we rode up to an Indian hut, and 
finally succeeded in rousing an old Indian. He gave us our direc- 
tion and told us that we had 8 leagues to go before we reached 
Palenque Village. Again we got side-tracked, and had to return to 
the same hut before we got the correct bearings. After an hour’s 
ride we once more were in doubt of the trail, and luckily found an- 
other house. On our call three white-clad ghost-like women came 
out. They told us that there were 8 leagues to Palenque, and 
glided in front of us to a place where we could see the main trail 
shining white before us. 


It was quite cheerful to hear that we had made no progress 
during the last hour’s ride. 


On we went. We were getting very tired, having been on the 
move, working and riding, since 5 o’clock the previous morning. 
Often we dozed in the saddle to wake with a jerk when our animals 
stopped to nibble the grass. We began to see strange things. 
Bushes took the oddest shapes. We dismounted and walked for a 
time and that helped somewhat to overcome the desire for sleep. 


A faint light began to show on the eastern horizon. We met a 
pack train coming from Palenque. They told us we had 7 leagues 
to go. Were we making no headway whatever? 


Moonlight changed to day. The great Don Juan mountain went 
through the most magnificent changes of colour—mauve, violet, and 
finally the golden morning sun brought out the deep green of its 
forest-clad sides. 


Sun and warmth seemed to infuse new life into our wearied 
bodies and into those of our animals. Now and then we got a 


166 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


glimpse of a tiny white spot to the east of Don Juan on the moun- 
tainside. It was the Temple of the Cross at Palenque ruins. Still 
the village did not come in sight. 


Then we began to meet men going to work in their fields. At 
last, about 9 o’clock, we saw the church of Palenque. 


We rode direct to Ernest Rateike’s store. He came out and we 
greeted him with stiffest of bows—not that we did not hike him—far 
from that—but we really were unable to greet him more gracefully, 
having been in action for twenty-eight hours. We could scarcely 
bend our rigid backbones. 


We craved food and sleep. The available food consisted of a 
can of salmon, some crackers, and a bottle of pop. While the boys 
unloaded the pack animals La Farge took a nap, squatting on the 
points of his spurs. 


Late in the afternoon we came back to life, refreshed, but raven- 
ously hungry. On waking we received a piece of news which made 
us forgive all the hardships of the previous night. It seems that 
when we lost our way, and wandered about so wearisomely in search 
of the main trail, we had escaped a grave peril. Only a short dis- 
tance further on along the main road bandits had held up a mer- 
chant and stolen his money and mules. As the old saying goes, 
nothing is so bad that it is not good for something. 


Cuapter VII 
PALENQUE 


Certainly no one would go out of his way to reach Palenque 
Village were it not for the magnificent Maya ruins lying close by. 
The village consists of two rows of houses on either side of a broad 
main street leading to a terrace where lies the old Spanish church. 


The name Palenque is Spanish, meaning “stockade.” It is told 
that the village was originally founded at some distance northwest of 
its present location, and that the Indians at the time of the Conquest 
moved their village because they were molested by bats and ants. 
The Spaniards began to construct a church at the first site but 
abandoned this to build part of the present church. One of the bells 
hanging on a small scaffold outside the church is dated 1573. 


Scarcely any group of Maya ruins has been visited and described 
as often as the ruins near Palenque. ‘Though several writers insist 
that Cortes saw these temples, there is little to prove their assertion. 
_ Not until around the year 1750 were there rumors of a fantastic 
ruined city lying in the mountains near the village. In 1773 one 
Ramon Ordofiez y Aguilar sent his brother from San Cristobal to 
explore the ruins. A description was made and sent to the Viceroy 
of Guatemala, for Palenque in those days pertained to the kingdom 
of Guatemala. This description was later found by Brasseur de 
Bourbourg, who published it under the title “Memoria relativa a las 
Ruinas de la Ciudad descubierta en las inmediaciones del pueblo de 
Palenque.’’* 


In 1784 the ruins were studied by José Antonio Calderon and in 
1785 by the architect Antonio Bernaconi. Based on their explora- 
tions the royal historian, Juan Bautista Mufioz, made a report 
(1786), the original of which is now in the British Museum in 
London, together with the drawings by Bernaconi.t 


The first extensive exploration and description was made by 
Antonio del Rio in 1786, but his report was not published until 
1822, and then not in a Spanish speaking country, but in England.t 





*Brasseur, 1866. 
{Spanish MSS. Add. 17571. 
tRio, Antonia del, 1822. 


167 


168 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


Again in 1807 the French Captain G. Dupaix, with an artist, 
Luciano Castaneda, visited the ruins. His description and some of 
Castafieda’s drawings were published by Lord Kingsborough, and a 
complete report with all Castafieda’s drawings appeared in 1834 in 
the large work “Antiquités Mexicaines.’’* 


Frederick Waldeck arrived at Palenque ruins in 1832 and stayed 
two years, studying, excavating, and drawing. Not until 1866 was 
his work published, with an introduction by Brasseur de Bourbourg 
under the title “Monuments anciens du Mexique.” Thirty-five of 
the drawings to this large work are of subjects in Palenque.t 


In 1840 the ruins were visited by the American explorer and 
writer, Stephens, and his artist friend, the Britisher, Catherwood.t 


Hight years later, in 1857, Charnay paid his first visit to the 
ruins, returning in 1872 to make a more careful investigation.§ 


Foremost of all explorations stands the work of Alfred P. Maud- 
slay. His photographs, drawings, and plans, published in “Biologia 
Centrali Americana,” are a standard for this type of work, and 
should be followed by future explorers in the whole area. 


After Maudslay’s exploration the ruins were studied by the 
German, Seler; the Austrian, Maler; and the American, Holmes. 
Seler and Holmes published the results of their work. Of Maler’s 
labours only a series of photographs are existing. Short visits were 
paid by other scientists, among them Tozzer, Spinden and Morley, 
and in 1923 the “Direccion de Anthropologia” of the Mexican Goy- 
ernment sent the writer to Palenque to determine what could be 
done for the preservation of the ruined buildings. Much new data 
were collected, and as these have not yet been published, some of 
the results of that expedition will be given in the following pages, 
through the courtesy of the Mexican Government. Constant refer- 
ence will be given to Maudslay’s plans and maps, and a short de- 
scription will be made of the main buildings, in order to give an idea 
of the magnificence of this ruined city, and as a background to the 
discoveries of the Mexican Government Expedition of 1928, as well 
as those made by the Tulane Expedition of 1925. 


*Kingsborough, 1831-48, Vol. IV., Page 294—Lenoir et Warden, 1834. 
+Brasseur, 1866. ; 

tStephens, 1841. = 

§Charnay, 18683—Charnay, 1881—Charnay, 1885. 


PALENQUE RUINS 169 


EXTRACT OF THE REPORT RENDERED TO “DIRECCION DE 
ANTROPOLOGIA, SECRETARIA DE AGRICULTURA 
Y FOMENTO” OF THE MEXICAN GOY- 
ERNMENT IN 1928 
Unper Direction or Dr. Manvuet Gamio 


From Palenque Village the trail to the ruins runs in a south-westerly direction. 
Several small streams are crossed, and as one comes near the mountains, the upper 
part of the Michol River is forded. After about eight kilometers’ ride, the first 
indications of ancient structures, some small mounds near the trail are seen. Then 
a cliff wall is reached, the trail winding up along the side of it. Dismounting at 
the foot of the cliff and going a few steps to the left of the trail, one finds the 
Otolum brook coming out from under a stone bridge built by the Maya, one of 
several bridges to be found among the 
ruins. 


Climbing towards the plateau, about 
100 meters above the level country, one 
passes many more structures. To right 
and left of the trail are small terraces, 
with mounds containing tombs. 


The edge of the plateau is reached, 
and if the dense vegetation which gen- 
erally covers the main part of the city 
has recently been cleared, you will 
have a magnificent sight before you. 
Pyramid after pyramid crowned by 
temples, the huge solid block of the 
Palace group, from which rises a tower, 
and behind it all hills 250 meters high, 
covered in deep green, luxuriant forest. 
If you turn and look back you will see 
the lowlands of Tabasco stretched at 
your feet. Forests and savannas extend 
far out to the horizon, and rivers wind 
silver ribbons into the carpet of rich 
green. Nature, to my mind, provides 
no other ruined city with a more ex- 
quisite frame. 


Fic. 127—Palenque, Chis. Corridor of House A Riding up to the foot of the huge 
in Palace Group. : 

Palace terrace, I tied my horse to a 
tree, as so many explorers have done before, and then scrambled up the sides of 
the terrace to the first corridor. This is a true Maya arched room, with fragments 
of stucco adornments on the walls (fig. 127). 





Turning through a door, the main temple court bursts upon you. It is en- 
closed by buildings, now largely destroyed by time, with their roofs covered by 
clusters of wild pink begonias. From in among the shrubbery which covers the 
floor of the court stare faces of crudely carved gods, and right in front lies a stair- 
way with excellently carved hieroglyphs on its steps. It is a fairy tale palace 
beyond description (fig. 128). 

I wandered from building to building, now abandoned, once occupied by great 
rulers, holy priests, and busy workmen. Water drips from the roofs, and clouds 
of bats flash by as my echoing footsteps disturb them. Stairways and dark pas- 
sages lead to subterranean galleries. Through a hole in one of the walls I again 


170 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


emerge into the sunshine, to see the Temple of Inscriptions before me on the 
mountainside. The first visit to Palenque is immensely impressive. When one has 
lived there for some time this ruined city becomes an obsession. 


As already stated, the ruins lie on a plateau, or shelf, on the side of the moun- 
tains. This plateau extends from east to west, a nearly vertical cliff forming the 
northern side, and mountains rising to the south. ‘The sides of these mountains 
have to a great extent been terraced and structures erected there. Even up to the 
tops of the front ranges are walls and pyramids. 


The plateau extends, as far as was explored in 1923, two kilometers east of 
the Maudsley map, and at least six kilometers to the west of it. All along this 
plateau are series of pyramids, many of which are oriented to the cardinal points. 
Various streams cut the area from south to north, and in many places are stone 
bridges, or streams that have been led into underground canals, built on the 
principle of the Maya arch. Down in the lowlands are mounds, and up on the 





Fic. 128—Palenque, Chis. A corner of the main court in the Palace Group. 


tops of the hills are pyramids. The vertical distance between the lowest and the 
highest structures is over 300 meters (1,000 feet). The area covered with ruins 
must be at least sixteen square kilometers. 


As the principal group of structures has so often been described, I will add 
only a few notes on discoveries made during my three months’ stay for the Mexi- 
can Government in 1923. 


The Palace cannot be called one building. In reality it is a multitude of build- 
ings erected around courts on one huge common terrace. To the north this terrace 
is broader than to the south, and on the northern side is a series of retaining walls 
rising in steps. The building standing along the northern edge fell towards the 
north, probably because of the weakening and sliding of the northern edge of the 
mound. The debris of this building now covers the greater part of the side of the 
terrace, save for some meters towards the northwestern corner. Here two large 


PALENQUE PALACE Lek 


stucco masks were found, one over 
the other, modeled on buttresses on 
the wall. A stairway may have 
led up to the Palace from this 
side; if so, it is now covered 
by debris. It is certain, though, 
that series of huge human faces 
once adorned the ends of the ter- 
race, and as the two exposed faces 
still show traces of red paint, one 
can imagine what an imposing 
sight the front of the Palace must 
once have been (figs. 129 and 
130). 


As for the buildings of the 
Palace little can be added to the 
excellent plans made by Maudslay, 
or to the descriptions by Seler and the Palace mound showing position of 
Holmes: stucco masks. 

The stucco reliefs on the outside pillars of the houses, labeled A and D by 
Maudslay, have decayed only little as compared with his photographs. These 
reliefs are well executed, but much cruder in drawing than the reliefs found by the 
Tulane Expedition at Comalcalco. 





On the roof slopes of House B are 
remnants of stucco reliefs. On the east 
side there is a serpent, and on the west 
side several grotesque heads can be 
traced. On this side is also a frieze, of 
which only one element is preserved, an 
ornament of two interlaced, or platted 
bands (fig. 131). 

The roofs of all the buildings in the 
Palace group were investigated, and only 
one of them, the roof on House E, was 
without a roof-comb or crest. The rela- 
tively small quantity of debris and broken 
stucco ornaments covering the roofs of 
the other buildings showed that their 
roof-combs were not as high as those on 
the Temples of the Sun, Cross, and Foli- 
ated Cross. The roof-crest on House B 
fell towards the west onto the roof of 
House E. 


House E is undoubtedly the oldest of 
the buildings on the Palace mound. Its 
walls are heavy, its doors narrow, and, as 
stated, it is without roof-comb. Inside this 
house are various stucco ornaments, and 
an oval tablet carved with two figures. 
Over this tablet is a row of hieroglyphs 





Fic. 180—Palenque, Chis. Stucco mask on north ; x 
side of Palace mound. painted on the wall. 


*For those who wish to study Palenque in more detail, we refer to Maudslay, Holmes, and Seler. 
The American traveller, Stephens, has a delightful description of his visit to the ruins in 1840. 


E72 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


On the western outside wall are groups of fresco paintings. These have been 
reproduced in black by Seler, but as the colours are quite fresh, I copied them 
during my stay at the ruins and give them in Plate I. 


From one of the rooms in this house, one descends a stairway into what has 
been styled the Subterranean Galleries of the Palace. These galleries are not 
‘below the level of the main temple square, but are built on a low terrace. The 
buildings of the Palace proper are raised on a high 
foundation, so that their floor level lies over the roof 
of the “subterranean” chambers. 


This leads me to believe that excavation will re- 
veal old buildings inside the main Palace mound. We 
know that it was the custom of the Maya builders 


113) 18) to fill up old buildings and place new ones on top 
of them. Why should this not be the case here? 





Hid: 191-—Enlenane, {Che oucc’ An interesting feature of the Subterranean cham- 
ornament on west side of 2 
House B. Palace. bers is that all three entrances to them were closed 


up with slabs set in even with the floors of the rooms 
from which they lead down. Also remnants of walls are found in the corridors 
connecting the upper temples with the lower rooms. ‘These walls once sealed the 
corridors. This point will be taken up again when I describe some of the out- 
lying structures. 


_ From the top of the tower one gets an excellent panorama of the city. The 
Palace lies below with its buildings and courts. To the north is a temple on an 
isolated mound, and beyond this a row of five temples, all facing towards the 
Palace, and lying on the northern edge of the Main Plaza. Behind these is a 
vertical drop, and a view out over the lowlands of Tabasco with a glimpse of the 
church in Palenque Village. | 


To the west the forest covers a string of Plazas and buildings, which will 
be described later. To the east rise the Pyramids and Temples of the Sun, the 
Cross, and the Foliated Cross, and 
behind these a mountain overlooks 
the wide plains, and at its top is a 
pyramid. A fire lit here must have 
been seen for a hundred miles. 


To the south lie forest-clad moun- 
tains, hiding many mounds and such 
buildings as the Temple of the Beau 
Relief. Close by on the mountain- 
side stands the Temple of Inscrip- 
tions on a terrace. On all sides are 
buildings, mounds, and squares, en- 
closed by a scenery of rare beauty. 





Fic. 132—Palenque, Chis. Large limestone block 
carved to represent a crocodile. 


Between the Palace and the court 
surrounded by the three sister tem- 
ples, is the Aqueduct. A stream coming down from the mouritains runs across the 
Main Plaza, and in the rainy season swells to a small river. This must have 
damaged the Palace mound, and caused the ancient builders to turn the stream 
into the underground tunnel, a sewer built of stone, on the principle of the Maya 
arch. 


Just below the northeastern corner of the Palace mound this aqueduct, as it 
has been called, comes out from under the ground. Here one may enter and walk 


PLATE I, 





EXAMPLE OF FRESCO PAINTING ON EXTERIOR WALL ON HOUSE E 
PALENQUE, CHIAPAS 


PALENQUE RUINS 173 


for quite a distance to where it is 
blocked by its fallen roof. It is not 
yet known just how far it extends, 
nor in what direction. At the mouth 
of the aqueduct, along the right bank 
of the stream, is a high wall, and 
where this terminates, a huge stone 
block has been set into the corner of 
the wall. This block measures 3.44 
meters long, 1.10 meters broad, and 
.86 meters thick, or about 3.50 cubic 
meters, and lies about a meter above 
the stream. It is carved to represent 
Fic. 133—Palenque, Chis. Ground plan of the a crocodile—very appropriate here at 
Temple of the Sun, after Maudslay. 
the edge of the stream (fig. 132). 





From the aqueduct one now climbs the side of a terrace, reaching a rectangular 
Plaza surrounded by temples. At the northern end of this Plaza lies the Temple 
of the Cross. Beyond, on either side of the Plaza, are the ruins of more 
temples, and to the south the 
Plaza is closed by a long 
building, behind which rise the 


mountains. 


The three main temples 
which are best preserved have 
been so often described, and 
their general construction is 
so similar, that I will describe 
only one of them, the Temple 
of the Sun (fig. 133). 


The facade of this temple 
is divided into three doorways 
by two pillars. These pillars 
had stucco reliefs on their ex- 
terior. Over the doorways 
were wooden lintels which 
have now disappeared through 
decay. 


The roof slope was deco- 
rated with an elaborate orna- 
ment consisting of human 
figures and serpents modeled 
in stucco low relief. On the q 


saddle of the roof stands the Fic. 134—Palenque, Chis. Section of the Temple of the Sun, 
roof-comb, a lattice work of after Holmes. 





5 * 3 a. Roof Comb. b. Roof. 
stone which once Was entirely ce. Central Wall. d. Front Wall, Pier. 
covered with a very elaborate e. Back Wall. f. Sanctuary. 
: Soe g. Stucco Relief. h. Architrave. 
decoration, also in stucco. On i. Roof Slope. j. Cornice. 
i k. Wooden Lintels. l. Key Slab. 
every part of this facade, col- m. Wooden Beams. n. Beam Holes. 
7 ; : ( o. Vault Slope. p. Window. 
oring is still to be seen in q. Floor. Fr Root Crest: 


174 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


places protected against the weather. The Maya temples, like the Greek, were 
painted in many colors, among which a deep red was predominant (fig. 134). 


The temple contains two parallel halls, the eastern one of which is reached 
through the main doorways. Three doors lead into the interior hall which is 
divided into three rooms. In the central room is the sanctuary, a separate house 
built inside the temple room, with a carved tablet on its back wall. This tablet 
is of limestone, and is composed of three slabs upon which human figures and 
hieroglyphs are carved in low relief. 


In the floor of the sanctuary a deep hole had been excavated by treasure hunt- 
ers, and several feet of dirt formerly covered the floor of the rest of the temple. 
This dirt was cleared out and the hole in the sanctuary floor filled with it. During 
the clearing several minor objects were encountered, among which were the head 
of a fish modeled in clay, and parts of a human face of heroic size, with the nose 
exquisitely modeled. A small knife of obsidian was also found, and two perforated 
stones, which may have been used as weights on the lower edge of a curtain. The 
floor was cleaned and found to be painted red and highly polished. 


Holmes gives a drawing of the west side of the roof comb, showing that the 
central motif of its decoration was a man sitting with legs crossed, Turkish fashion. 
Among the debris found below and right in front of this figure was the well 
modeled nose and upper lip of the human face. 


The central motif of the facade’s roof slope was likewise a human figure sitting 
with legs crossed, of which only the torso is preserved. ‘To the right of this, one 
still sees the head of a long-nosed god protruding from the open jaws of a serpent. 


The ground plans of the Temples of the Cross and of the Foliated Cross are 
similar to that of the Temple of the Sun. Both facades and roof combs are 
covered with fragments of stucco ornamentation. 


Two carved stone tablets are now inserted in the front walls of the church in 
the village of Palenque. In his drawing of a reconstruction of the sanctuary of 
the Temple of the Sun, Catherwood places these stones on either side of the en- 
trance. Maudslay comes to the conclusion that these tablets were originally on 
the sides of the sanctuary of the Temple of the Cross. During my stay at Palenque, 
I measured the tablets very carefully and also the walls of the three sanctuaries, 
and found that these tablets could have fitted only on the front walls of the sanc- 
tuary in the Temple of the Cross. 


When filling a hole in the floor of the Temple of the Foliated Cross, many 
fragments of stucco ornaments were found. Some of these were covered with nu- 
merous sheets of travertine, showing that they must have been on the walls at one 
time, and covered by water saturated with lime which constantly trickles down the 
temple walls. When dried, the travertine could be removed, and the ornaments 
underneath were exposed with their original colors, like the one shown in Plate ILI. 


I do not aim to give a complete description of the Palenque ruins, but merely 
to put on record the most interesting discoveries made during my stay there. I 
will therefore leave the main building and turn to the Plaza lying to the south of 
the three temples just mentioned. Continuing along the eastern edge of the Plaza 
from the Temple of the Foliated Cross, I first reached a small mound, upon which 
Maudslay discovered a stone seat and a large head carved in limestone.* 


This monument is now in the National Museum in Mexico City. On the front 
of the stone chair is a double band of hieroglyphs ending in the date 8 Ahau 8 Uo 
(9-13-0-0-0), a very important date in the history of Palenque. 


*Maudslay, 1899, Vol. IV., Plate 90. 


PLATE Il. 





STUCCO ORNAMENT WITH ORIGINAL COLORS FROM TEMPLE OF THE 
FOLIATED CROSS, PALENQUE, CHIAPAS 


PALENQUE RUINS 








©) ie 
CL) | 
C=) 





Os Gn 

















———, 


s 


Fic. 135—Palenque, Chis. Stucco inscription from the back wall of building XVIII. Scale 1:10. 


175 


176 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


Next I reached a badly ruined temple with only end walls and part of the 
central walls standing. This structure faces west, towards the Plaza. 


Further to the south, against the hillside, lie two small temples, exactly alike. 
The southernmost of them is entirely in ruin, and the back and side walls are still 
standing on the northern side. While measuring these buildings a hieroglyphic in- 
scription was discovered on the back wall. The upper part of this inscription 
modeled in stucco had been protected by some large stones from the roof. When these 
were removed blocks of hieroglyphs were found upon the plaster of the back wall, 
each modeled independently and set on the surface of the wall. The mortar of the 
wall surface was of a very poor grade and the hieroglyphs in many cases were 
falling, so the entire inscription was removed and placed on a table in a small 
museum which I had erected near the Palace (fig. 135). 


The inscription runs in a double line of large hieroglyphs along the upper edge 
of the wall. There were thirteen glyphs in each line. Only one of the upper 
line, A-9, is still preserved; in the lower line, glyphs B-8 and B-10 are missing. 
Glyph B-la appears to be the face numeral for 3 with either the sign for Uinal 
or Chuen, and B-1b may be a 3 or 4 Pop. In glyphs B-5-B-6 we have a secondary 
series of 13 Tun, 3 Uinal, and 10 Kin followed by glyph B-7, being End Katun 2. 
The rest of the glyphs in this line cannot yet be deciphered. 


Underneath these two rows of glyphs are eight groups of smaller glyphs of 
which several appear to be connected with lunar calculations. Only in Group G 
do we find a date, which either reads 5 Ahau 18 Pop, or 5 Ahau 18 Kayab. On 
the strength of the what may be “end Katun 2” given in Glyph B-7, Dr. Morley 
tentatively reads this date as 9-2-3-0-0 5 Ahau 18 Pop (218 A. D.)* If contem- 
poraneous, this would be quite an early date for Palenque. 


The lower part of the wall was undoubtedly covered with figures in stucco 
relief, of which now only the feathered head-dress of a standing person, and the 
crossed legs of a sitting figure are preserved. 


At the end of the Plaza lies a long building facing north and so much in ruin 
that it is not possible to draw a ground plan (building XIX). Opposite building 
XIX on the western side of the plaza is a high pyramid crowned by a building 
facing east. This building likewise is in an advanced state of ruin (building XX). 
Between this and the Temple of the Sun finally lies Building XXI, a structure 
enclosed by vertical walls of very large stone blocks, on the top of which stood a 
building facing north. | 


To finish the description of the buildings around this big Plaza we will mention 
Structure XIV, a small temple to the north cof the Temple of the Sun, and S-5, a 
large tomb inside a mound, which was opened and described by Thompson.f 


This completes the description of one of the most important Plazas in Palenque. 
All buildings around it appear to be temples where undoubtedly all the big cere- 
monies to the Gods were conducted. 


The Otolum stream comes down from the mountain through a narrow gorge, 
and retention walls have been built on either side of this to prevent the stream 
from washing away the foundations of a large mound on the eastern bank, as well 
as of the Temple of the Beau Relief on the western bank. On top of the mound 
on the eastern bank are several chambers now exposed by their roofs caving in. 
Crossing the Otolum, we come to the Temple of the Beau Relief, which lies on 
the side of the steep mountain and faces towards the east. Various explorers have 


*Spinden. 1924, Page 208, has this date as 9 Ahau 3 Zotz, which undoubtedly is a typographical error. 
{Thompson, 1895. 


PALENQUE RUINS ars 


suggested that a stairway once led up from the stream of this temple, but careful 
investigation of the mountainside revealed no signs of such. The temple is a small 
building of two rooms; the front room now entirely destroyed. On either side of 
the doorway leading into the back room are impressions of stucco hieroglyphs now 
effaced. All that can now be seen is that here once was an initial series inscrip- 
tion, as fragments of the introducing glyph are still preserved. On the back wall 
of the temple was once a beautiful stucco low relief. This was drawn by Waldeck, 
and parts of it again by Catherwood. It is now totally destroyed but for a bench 
resting on jaguar feet. It has been stated that Waldeck’s drawing of this relief 
was too French in style and too well executed to represent a piece of Maya art. 
No doubt the drawing shows a certain foreign style, but judging from what little 
is still preserved, and the artistic skill seen in the stucco figures discovered by the 
Tulane Expedition at Comalcalco, I am inclined to believe that Waldeck’s draw- 
ing is essentially correct. 


A small stairway leads from the back room into some vaults below the floor 
of the temple, and I believe that this building was not a temple, but a mausoleum 
built in honor of some great ruler of Palenque. 





Fic. 1836—Palenque, Chis. Burial vaults to the south of the Temple of the Beau Relief. 


Along the exterior at the lower edge of the roof slope is a cornice with lime- 
stone slabs laid in mortar. They are placed at a steep angle in such a position 
that they could only have been laid, without the use of scaffolding to support their 
lower edges, while the mortar in which they were set was, drying. 


To the south of this building is a terrace, and on Maudslay’s map we find the 
inscription “Group of chambered mounds in this place.’’ During my work at 
Palenque I gave this group the number XXVIII and made a map of it (fig. 136). 
It is a complicated assembly of chambers and corridors, to which niches lead from 
the side of the terrace. Excavation has previously been attempted in all niches, 
but only the southernmost gives access to a corridor and burial chamber. In this 
chamber stands a stone box made of carefully cut limestone slabs. Whoever made 
these excavations left no record of his work. 


The Temple of Inscriptions has repeatedly been described in great detail. It 
lies to the southwest of the Palace on the side of the same mountain as the Temple 
of the Beav Relief. On its walls are three big tablets containing rows of hiero- 


178 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


glyphs. During the visit of a former Mexican Government Inspector of monu- 
ments, these tablets were washed with an acid to clean them, with the fatal result 
that the inscriptions are now pealing off. I did not touch these tablets for fear 
of furthering their destruction. In the rear room of this temple the floor is made 
of huge stone slabs, of which one has two rows of perforations, which used to be 
closed with stone plugs. I cannot imagine what these holes were intended for. 


3°700 





WUE 





§:b00 


Fic. 187—Palenque, Chis. Details of Stairway to the Temple of Inscriptions. 


A stairway leads down from the temple to a small terrace. Its steps are cut 
of stone blocks with the front edge of one resting on the back edge of the step 
below in a notch as shown by Figure 137. 

To the west of the Temple of Inscriptions lie two mounds, one supporting a 
building now entirely in ruin, and on the other stand parts of a temple. The 
ground plan of this temple is similar to the plan of the Temple of Inscriptions. 


NORTHERN TEMPLES 179 


It does not contain any interior decoration, but on its facade were stucco reliefs, 
of which only a huge death head is preserved (fig. 138). 


Before I leave the area shown by the map of the Maudslay expedition, I have 
still to speak of the five temples lying along the northern edge of the Main Plaza, 
facing south towards the Palace. These temples are of varying size. Looking at 
them from east to west, we first see a 
small building that contained one 
single room, of which only the western 
side wall is standing. Then a long 
temple with a double gallery; the front 
one containing one room, while the rear 
gallery is divided into three rooms, of 

: which the large central one has the 
Fic. 138—Palenque, Chis. Death head in stucco, 
from the Temple west of the Temple appearance of a sanctuary. On the 
A a dene a back of the building the roof slope has 
fragments of a stucco decoration rep- 
resenting the head of a serpent-bird. 





Then follows another one-room 
building, and after this a large temple 
designated by the letter D. Set in one 
of its walls is a large limestone block 
carved with hieroglyphs. This block 
apparently has been rejected from 
some former structure and used here 
merely as building material, for the 
Fic. 1389—Palenque, Chis. Hieroglyphic Inscription stone is set into the wall with the 

from Temple D, of the North Temples. glyphs upside down. The only legible 
sign is 18 Pop (fig. 139). 


The last temple in the line has been given the letter E, it is badly in ruin, 
with only one of the smaller rooms of its back gallery being intact. As the con- 
struction of the vault of this room is somewhat unusual a cross section of it is 
given in Figure 140. 





There remains only one temple to describe, which locally goes under the name 
of El Templo del Conde—no one knows why. The building lies between the row 
of five temples just mentioned and the Palace, along the western 
side of the Main Plaza. Its ground plan is given in Figure 141. 

The slope of its roof is somewhat steeper than those of other 
temples in Palenque, and upon it still are fragments of huge 
stucco masks. In the back wall of the sanctuary is a small 
niche, before which a clam shell with orange-yellow rim was 
found in the debris around a deep hole. On the north side of 
the southern pillar flanking the central doorway were some 
glyphs under a thick layer of travertine. These were cleaned, 


but give no dates (fig. 142). Fic, 140—Palenque, 


; : Chis. Section of a 
During my stay at the ruins I made a traverse with compass room in Temple E 


and pace both to the east and west of the area mapped by ee es 
Maudslay. This traverse was roughly done and made chiefly to 

get a general idea of the size of the area once occupied. A detailed account of this 
newly explored area will not be given, but certain groups of the most interesting 
ruins will be described. 


On the map (Map IV) these groups will be found lettered from A to I. 
’ Wherever a capital § is seen, there are indications of burial vaults, and those 


180 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


measured, drawn, and, in some cases, excavated, are indicated with both an §S and 
a number. 


Group A is a burial ground lying north of the Main Plaza and at a lower 
level. The group consists of several mounds in which were burial chambers and 
those excavated were entered through openings made by rain washing away some 

of the building material. In no case was 
an attempt made to open an untouched 
mound, as time did not permit this. It 
was thought wise, however, to excavate 
all burials opened by nature and attempt 
to preserve the material thus exposed to 
treasure hunters before the data would 
be destroyed. 


[es Ree Some of the burial mounds lay on 


terraces with retention walls built of 
Fic. 141—Palenque, Chis. Ground plan of stone, behind which several other vaults 
“Templo del Conde.” Secale 1:200. E 2 ; 
were found. Evidently it was customary 
in Palenque to place burial vaults not only in separate mounds, but also in the 
sides of the temple pyramids and along the edges of terraces. 


The following burials were investigated in Group A: 


S-1. This burial lies behind a retention wall. The entrance passage runs 
parallel to this wall, and through it one enters into a small ante-room at a right 
angle to the passage. From this ante-room there is another right-angle turn into 
the burial room proper. The roof of the entrance passage and the northern end 
of the burial room has fallen. The 
burial itself consists of a stone box 
built of cut limestone slabs. The 
slabs at the northern end of the 
burial had been lifted and the tomb 
undoubtedly had been rifled, for only 
a few pieces of broken pottery and 
some of the bones of a foot were 
found lying in the northern end of 
the tomb (fig. 143). 


S-2. This burial lies a short dis- 
tance to the west of S-1 in a mound. 
The entrance was found to the north 
through a small corridor opening into 
a vaulted room. In the northern end 
of this room lay a heap of loose 
stones. Excavation of the burial re- 
vealed a stone box similar to the one 
discovered in S-1, but made of more 
crudely cut stones. On the lid of this 
box lay parts of the vertebral column 
of a young person. One of the ver- 
tebrae was badly deformed. Nineteen 
teeth, of which several incisors were 
filed, were located in the northern 
end of the room. Inside the tomb, in 


its northern end, were twelve more. ihe Oa To hicreoenaee 
. ° Fi - 142—Fale 9 ‘his. ucco lero Qos trom 
teeth of which one incisor had a small ‘ “El. Femplo del Conde. # oe 





“saunjonujys pur sete 
, Jo sera] Juadvalfip Se yorw sv 
Sapaqiye anid jou 0 op sunqwo> syPrng =o 


“pauvagqwau dew chuysprely hq 
Apsnoinaed you sdunpying Pavano? u0N209 
0] vaA1d STPuaWn UPWOY stuppny = 
pegiwasap saunjonujs Jo Tf Gof tal el 
sdhoud 9 vvfau suayz7 yejre> Sueedzo eel 


—-UINAD IT 





E261 
+9 OOIXANW 


erdojodoyuy ap vig 


CNINY. 
ANON Tad 


dey ay 





PALENQUE BURIALS 181 


circular hole for an inlay, and another still 
contained an inlay of black stone. A spindle 
whorl of limestone, a bone needle, and many 
fragments of pottery were among the things 
found in this tomb (fig. 144). 


S-3 and S-4. (Fig. 145). Right on the 
trail leading up from the lowlands to the Main 
Plaza, a row of stone tablets were noticed. I 
concluded that they were the cover slabs of 
burials, exposed to destruction by the hoofs of 
mules and horses carrying visitors to the ruins, 
and decided to make an investigation. Dirt was 
cleared away and two burials appeared. These 
were stone boxes set directly in the ground 
without any mound over them; one built a little 
over the other. As the upper grave was of 
eruder build and nearly overlapped the lower 
one, this upper grave undoubtedly is the more 
recent of the two. The upper grave is num- 
bered S-3, and its construction may readily be 
seen from the attached drawing. The walls 
were built of small stones held together with 
mortar, the southern end of the grave being 
narrower than the northern end, indicating 
that the body had been placed in the grave 
with its head towards the north. Both this 
and the lower grave, S-4, had small niches in 
the west walls where clay pots were placed. 
the only other objects found in S-3 were a clay 
spindle whorl, a few splinters of human bones, 
eee ele Clins Pian vena and a small melon-shaped bead of light green 

section of Burial S-1. jade. 





S-4 was built with more care than S-3. It contained various fragments of 
human bones and in its northeastern corner were several teeth. A pot stood in 
the niche with a flat bowl right in front. The box was built of stone slabs set 
together without the use of mortar. The body had been laid directly on the slab 
floor with its head towards the north. 





Fic. 144—Palenque, Chis. Plan and section of Burial §-2. 


182 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


S-5 is a very elaborate burial vault in a group of mounds to the north of S-1. 
Here four mounds surround a small plaza and inside the westernmost of these is 
a large vault with roof now partly fallen in. A shaft leads down from the top of 
the mound to the southern end of the room, and a passage enters into the room 
from the east. I was 
not able to ascertain 
whether the passage or 
Spindle whorl the shaft was the origi- 
nal entrance to the tomb. 
The room contains four 


y 
ny S) i Bow! burials, two lying to the 
) © /Pof north and two to the 
! oe, south. These burials are 
{ Sf 5 boxes made of small 
t 5 stones and mortar. The 
y one in the north side is 
{ 0 
| broader at its northern 
; ; than at its southern end, 
indicating that the body 
was placed in this tomb 
p 
with head towards the 
6 § 
ew Phe oy ary my Teeth north. The four tombs 
Mortan were excavated, but no 
\ a ae 2 oe Mortar SHE were found (fig. 
146). 


Group B. At the north- 
eastern corner of the 
Main Plaza, the Otolum 
stream forms a beautiful 
waterfall about 30 me- 
ters high. On the east- 
ern bank of the stream 
just below this fall is a 
terrace on which lie two 
mounds. _ Inside the 
easternmost of these is 
a tomb, S-6, consisting 
of a passage, an ante- 
chamber, and two burial 
rooms, as shown in Fig. 
No excavation was 


made here, as the tomb 
Group A [s+ had long been open and 
Graves S3- S4 cane gave the appearance of 


Scale aprox t:50 having been visited by 
treasure hunters. 


8 
e 
= 14:7. 





Ms is. ti f Burial 
Fic. 145—Palenque, a A Roe sections o urials Group C. When we 


pass over the well-known 
bridge crossing the Otolum and go towards the east, we come to another stream 
at a point where its western bank is formed by a vertical wall of natural rock. 
On the eastern bank, which slopes slightly, lies a rampart constructed of limestone 
blocks, indicating that this stream once was spanned by a bridge of wooden logs. 
This bridge leads to a small plaza on the western side of which is a high pyramid. 


PALENQUE BURIALS 183 


In the southern end of this pyramid is a room with two passages leading towards 
the north and blocked by rough stones. The pyramid gives the appearance of 
being honey-combed with 
chambers (fig. 148). 


On the east side of the 
Plaza is a terrace on which 
lie three mounds, B on the 
ground plan, undoubtedly 
containing burial chambers, 
and on its southern side lie 
the remnants of a small 
building, A on the ground 
plan. 


Group D. Behind the Tem- 
ple of the Foliated Cross 
rises a steep hill, the top of 
which has been leveled, and 
here stands a pyramid. The 
vertical distance between the 
top of this pyramid and a 
small mound lying at the foot 
of the ascent to the main 
plaza is 330 meters. From 
the top of this pyramid one 
has a most magnificent view 
over the lowlands of Ta- 
basco to the north. 


We naow turn to the area 
lving to the west of the Fic. 146—Palenque, Chis. 
Maudslay map. 


Group E indicates a large level area at some distance to the west of the Temple 
of Inscriptions. It is bordered to the west by a stream; on its northern edge lie 
several mounds; and on its eastern side an ob- 
long mound fills the space between the square 
and the hills on which the Temple of Inscrip- 
tions is located. Finally, on the southern side, 
are mounds at the foot of a mountain range. In 
the center of this level area lies a huge rough 
stone block, the upper surface of which has been 
grooved and polished to form a large basin. 
This block undoubtedly was used as an altar. 


Ga ae en ys 





Plan and section of Burial S-5. 


The oblong mound just mentioned contains 
remnants of buildings and various V-shaped cavi- 
ties indicating the fallen-in roofs of burial cham- 
bers. The hillside south of this mound has been 
terraced, and here also are many such cavities, 
and a few exposed burial rooms. 


Group F. From various sides I heard rumors 
of a stone column to be found somewhere west of 
the ruins. Many people in the town of Palenque 
had heard of it, but none knew where it was. 





ee is. d , : 
RoE i onde ag Nir ag pa oer oa Everyone had second-hand information, and 


184 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


when I tried to get hold of the original informant I was usually told that he was 
dead. I finally came in touch with an Indian living at the foot of the ruins, who 
told me that he had seen this stone column when on a hunting trip as a small boy 
with his father. He was not quite sure where the stone column was, but would 
undertake to search for it. One morning we set out, walking westward along the 
foot of the natural wall that runs along the north edge of the ruined area. Several 
small streams were crossed and then we followed one of them towards the south. 
Soon the old Indian told us that we were nearing the place where the monument 
was supposed to be. He had brought 
along two: small boys who were con- 
stantly leaving the trail in search of 
small clay figurines which they knew I 
would buy from them. Suddenly one 
of the boys called to his father that he 
should come to see a strange tree trunk. 
We turned back and there saw the 
stone monument for which we were 
searching. It stood only a few feet 
away from the trail we had cut through 
the dense bush. The Indians called this 
monument “La Picota.” It is an ordi- 
nary stela without carvings, and two 
small stone drums in front of it served. 
as altars (fig. 149). “La Picota” in 
itself is interesting, because it is the 
only standing stela as yet discovered in 
Palenque; and still more interesting is 
¥ the Plaza on which it is found. (fig. 
2 150). Three small streams come down 
he ee | from the mountain at this point, and 
| the ancient builders have led them into 
| sewers built of cut stones, the three 
nd TEE small tunnels joining into one main. To 
the west is a stone walled basin or bath 
connected to the main aqueduct through 
a small underground canal. Along the 
southern side of the Plaza is a terrace 
with a stairway leading to a _ bridge 
across the largest of the streams. 


ei Group G. (Fig. WPjs Agsmall 
oe eee ee eee stream runs along the western side of 
Fic. 148—Palenque, Chis. Map of Group C and this BEOUP: and along its east bank a 
plan of House A in same group. wall has been placed as protection from 

; the floods of the rainy season, for the 

Plaza in ancient times had been excavated to a lower level than that of the stream. 
The group itself consists of one large mound where are remnants of various build- 
ings, and two pyramids. Most of these buildings consist of ruined passages inside 
mounds and are shown with numbers from 1 to 4 on the ground plan of the group. 
No. 1 contains several rooms facing west. No. 2 is a long passage in the side of 
Pyramid A, and leads into a room under the south side of the pyramid. Doors 
blocked with crude stones indicate that the core of the pyramid contains more 
rooms. No. 3 is a large room inside a mound, and No. 4 a narrow passage run- 
ning under the floor of a terrace from which a stairway leads down to a Plaza 

















PALENQUE BURIAIS 185 


marked X. B is a steep pyramid facing south with the ruins of a building on its 
top. No excavations were made in the passages and rooms of this group. 


North of the group a small mound was found con- 
taining two rooms connected by a corridor. The east- 
ernmost of these rooms was nearly filled with debris, 
and the door to the west was closed by a wall. Some 
loose stones in this wall were taken out and a burial 
chamber exposed. Plan and section of this chamber is 
given in Figure 152. The chamber contained a low 
table along its eastern wall, and on this were found 
parts of a human skeleton laid with the head to the 
north. At the place where the head had been, lay a 
large ear plug carved out of mother-of-pearl; and very 
brittle fragments of another earring was found in the 
dirt covering the table. ‘The bones were soft and de- 
cayed and it was not possible to determine either sex 
or age of the person buried here. 


Group H. (Fig. 153). Lies on a mountain spur 
to the southeast of the Temple of Inscriptions. In 
fact, both the Temple of Inscriptions and Group H 
lie on the point of spurs on the same range with a 
ravine between them. On the top of the spur of the 
Temple of Inscriptions are three pyramids in line. 
Fic. 149—Palenque, Chis. Stand- These lie at approximately the same level over the 

ing Stela, ‘‘La Picota. : : P ‘ 

Main Plaza as Group H. This latter group consists 
of a pyramid—lying on the northernmost point of the spur—on the top of which 
is a totally ruined temple (C on the plan). South of this lies an intricate collec- 
tion of minor mounds and a terrace. The interior of one of these mounds, marked 








Fic. 150—Palenque, Chis. Map of Group F showing position of ‘La Picota’’ and 
aqueduct. (Scale 1:1000). 


186 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


Va Group G. 


N $1: 1000 





Fic. 151—Palenque, Chis. Map of Group G. 





Fic. 152—Palenque, Chis. Plan of Burial north of Group E 
Scale 1:100. 


PALENQUE HILL TEMPLES 187 


B on the plan, contains a series of underground passages and rooms, which, in 
their general appearance are much similar to the subterranean rooms of the Palace 
(fig. 154). 

A passage with steps goes down into the main room, and a secondary wall 
closes this entrance. Along the interior walls of the room are a series of half 


GroupH. Palenoue 
Scale 1000 





Fic. 153—Palenque, Chis. Map of Group H. 


columns having the appearance of seats. At the points marked X-Y the walls 
show the lower part of a roof cornice, indicating that the northern end of the 
building is a later addition. The entire exterior passage is now in ruin. 


At the southeastern corner of the group is a large mound and on the north 
side near the top of it is the entrance to a burial chamber. This vault shows 


188 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


distinct sign of having been investigated, as the cut limestone slabs wuich once 
covered the burial had been torn up and thrown to one side. None the less, we 
made a careful search of the dust in the tomb, only finding a few potsherds and 
fragments of human bones (fig. 155). 





Fic. 154—Palenque, Chis. Plan of Structure B in Group H. 


Between Group H and the pyramids south of the Temple of Inscriptions, at 
the southern end of the ravine mentioned, lie the ruins of an interesting structure, 
to which I have given the number XXVI on the map attached to my report to the 
Mexican Government. The walls of this structure are built of large stone blocks, 
with the use of comparatively little mortar. The building is in two stories, the roof 

of the lower story forming the floor of 
a terrace in front of the upper story, 
which stands on a solid masonry block. 
Narrow passages with stairways lead 
from the back of the lower rooms to 
the upper story. Only a few walls of 
the upper section are standing, and the 
whole part of this structure is so badly 
in ruin that it is not possible to draw 
its ground plan. 


The lower story consists of two 
galleries, of which the front one is 
now entirely destroyed. The back gal- 
lery contains one long room, a small 
room, and several passages. The whole 
structure is so much in ruin that it is 
difficult to come to any conclusion as to 
its use in ancient times. 


Maudslay states that he has found 
burials in buildings of this kind, and 
it is possible that excavations will re- 
veal these buildings to be a kind of 
catacombs (fig. 156). 


Fic. 155—Palenque, Chis. Plan of Burial in Mound ; 
A of Group H. (Scale 1:100). Group I. As this group was found 


a few days before I had to leave, there 
was no time to make a detailed plan. It consists of various mounds arranged 
around courts, and a building was found somewhat like the one described in 
Group C, the only difference being that the building in Group I contained two, 
maybe three, parallel galleries. 








PALENQUE HILL TEMPLES 189 


There ‘now remains only one building to describe. This is a temple lying on 
the mountainside between Group H and Group F. It had been reported by Maud- 
slay, but as he does not give any plan of it, I give one in Figure 157. This 
temple faces north and stands on a terraced pyramid. Its eastern end has fallen, 
but so much is preserved that a complete ground plan could be made. Two stucco 
hieroglyphs were found on the outside of one of the door pillars, and on the western 
end of the roof stands a part of a roof ornament of unusual form. The Temple 
has two parallel galleries, and no vestiges of carved tablets or stucco hieroglyphs 
were found on its back wall. 


As stated at the beginning of this chapter, only a condensed report has been 
given here of the discoveries made during my stay at Palenque for the Mexican 
Government; the object being merely to place this work on record for the benefit 


of future explorers of Palenque. Be egrets © points 


presented themselves for de- 
tailed study. For example, it 
was noted that all the so- 
called subterranean chambers 
lie directly on a level with 
the temple plazas, or a few 
feet above this level. In no 
place had the Mayas made 
excavations for subterranean 





ec mm mee ee ee eee ee 


: alee OENeS ] rooms, but everywhere they 
Yn Sea Se les a 2 
i ya Ge) Srst2e @ C222, f 674 had built on ground level and 






Hewat tot | 
: ' 
ne sie Sag yas, AR Te Bal | 
.’ 


vee filled around the building to 
frome ee. SEC epee aes pea 


give it the appearance of be- 
ing underground. 


The aqueduct has always 
been the cause of much admi- 
ration among explorers and 
visitors, and been considered 
quite unique. Drainage sys- 
tems more elaborate than this 
were found in other parts of 
the ruins, and also a variety 
of bridge construction span- 
ning the many creeks running 
Fic. 156—Palerque, Chis. Structure XXVI. Scale 1:750. from south to north through 


the ruined area. 


As the roof combs on the Temples of the Sun and the Cross were in danger 
of falling, I had my Indians burn lime with which to reinforce these constructions. 
Lime kilns were built and though we laboured hard for about a week, only a 
comparatively small amount of lime was produced. This made me realize what 
an enormous amount of labour it must have required to produce sufficient mortar 
for all the great buildings in this city. 

“ 


Early in the morning on May 12th we were ready to go to 
the ruins at Palenque. Both of us were full of expectation. To 
the writer, it was the joy of returning to a place that had become 
dear to him through previous visits; to La Farge it was the thrill of 


190 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


going for the first time to this famous and beautiful ruine _ ty of 
which he had read and heard so much. 


As we rode out of the village, the captain of the local garrison 
and some soldiers joined us. We tried our best to shake them, but 
the captain explained to us, with much courtesy, that he felt much 
honored in visiting the famous ruins in company with people who 
appeared in the news- 
papers. Fame is a nui- 
sance. 


We forded the Michol 
and the Otolum creeks 
and then reached the foot 
of the natural wall along 
which the trail winds up 
to the ruins. Here we 
left our horses and climb- 
ed to the top, passing by 
the two tombs I had ex- 
cavated two years before. 
Then we reached the 
main plaza. My old palm 
house had gone, and the 
small palm-roofed mu- 
seum was falling; ants 
and tropical decay had 
wrought havoc in the 
small village I had built 
for myself and my work- 
men. ‘The old caretaker 
and foreman, Leandro, 
was still there and re- 
ceived us with signs of 
joy. 

Guided by Leandro, 
La Farge went around 
the ruins and I took the 
- heavily-armed visitors to 
the Palace. Fortunately this escort afteaa: tired of climbing 
mounds and retired to the caretaker’s hut where they settled down 
to eat and drink. By noon they had had enough of both the famous 
ruins and ditto men, and left for the village. 








Fig. 157—Palenque, Chis. Temple between Groups H and F. 


It was not our intention to spend much time in the ruins, and 
we certainly did not expect to make any new discoveries during our 


PALENQUE HILL TEMPLES 191 


sho \isit. It was therefore a pleasant surprise when Leandro told 
me . it he had found three tablets with figures and inscriptions dur- 
ing my absence, and had hidden them awaiting my return. 


These tablets were in the small museum lying face down among 
other slabs covering the floor. All three were fragments of larger 
tablets; two of them having hieroglyphs and a part of a figure 
carved on the surface of the third. 


Tablet No. 1 had been found by Leandro close to the Otolum 
stream at the back of the Temple of the Sun. On its surface are 
two horizontal lines of hiero- 
glyphs. Glyph A-1 is frac- 
tured and shows probably the 
co-efficient of 1 and the head- 
form of the Tun sign. B-1 
has the co-efficient 9, followed 
by what looks like an Ahau. 
A-2 is unknown, and B-2 
shows us the face numeral for 
5 and the day glyph Eb. A-3 
has face numeral 5 followed 
by the month Kayab. B-3 has 
the face numeral 6 followed 
by an unknown glyph. A-4, 
B-4, and A-5 are all unknown. 
We see here the date 5 Eb 5 
Kayab (fig. 158). This date 
occurs in two other places at 
Palenque, the first being on 
the “Death Head Monument” 
where the date (9-12-19-14-12) 
5 Eb 5 Kayab is at the begin- 
ning of the inscription.* The 
other 5 Eb 5 Kayab is found 
on Tablet No. 2 discovered by 
the Tulane Expedition. 


Tablet No. 2 (figs. 159 and 160) was found on the west side 
of the mound of the Temple of the Foliated Cross. It is a frag- 
ment of a tablet with two horizontal rows of hieroglyphs, and prob- 
ably part of initial series. A-1, B-1, A-2, and B-2 are lost. C-1 
equals 11 Uinal, D-1 equals 12 Kin, C-2 equals 5 Eb, D-2 equals 
5 Kayab. This date reads (9-5-1) — 11 — 12, 5 Eb 5 Kayab. 


*Maudslay, Vol. IV., Plate 90. 





Cr 


Fic. 158—Palenque, Chis. Tablet No. 1. 


192 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


It is an early date for Palenque, and I doubt if it is contémpo- 
raneous, as the hieroglyphs are very well executed, and show the 
style of a much later period. 

As to the date on Tablet No. 1, it is not possible to locate it 
definitely in the Maya calendar, though I am inclined to believe that 
the date is late rather than early. 






axed Ry Pas i . 
etn vit 
| te Sede ie Gy [ears 
to4¢ We SS’ twp Ser? 
et - '] A) 
\ Vinee ctowein, |! 4 » 
SWen =e ~~ - = ‘ , i] 
‘oe nr ew ere Dec! fe. . 
(es pte ar Ss 's.' . 
' > 
| [ee ee Lr! We: '"» oe 
--- 0 . 
je C2 OF -) sy a oe, 
Wen nw aw we Ww’ ~ FE ee ee | 
Te eye anit FO ee vsL 
| VE SIM tS Gas ey REP Wi 
ie Pees 77 NI CN ts Ue otc me 
| | 4 Nee ea 0 ger cs 
} i ‘ ‘ rik 5 nny peed 
| ih Nees eee sd Ane Gea 
~ onianen = 
| J a = ae ek Uh AU 
woe 
Lil ieere teeth Tuma 
af AiG S| ao */ =a 1 
| }} § sz == <—™"\ ws , 
fA A ek a 
;! (amen ee, :7~ ee 2s 
| Naa Ah eRe ae Se Ty aaa 
es Saree ee ae 5 OLS nt 
Fic. 159—Palenque, Chis. 


An interesting feature con- 
nected with Tablet No. 1 may 
be mentioned. The glyphs A-3 
and A-4 and parts of glyph B-3 
were found to be covered with 
a layer of stucco nearly obliter- 
ating the design of the glyph F 
(fig. 161). As it is well known 
that the stone cutter sometimes ¥ 
made errors in the inscription, 
I was anxious to see if there 
could be any difference in the 
line drawing on the stucco coat- 
ing and the carving of the 
glvphs. We therefore carefully 
chipped off the stucco covering, but found it to be the same. Figure 
161-a shows the tablet with the stucco covering and Figure 161-b 
shows it after the covering had been removed. 





Fyg. 160—Palenque, Chis. Tablet No. 2. 


Tablet 3 was found on the front slope of the mound of the Temple 
of the Foliated Cross. It is a fragment of a standing figure carved 
in low relief showing the right shoulder and part of the arm of a 
man. At first it was thought to be part of the tablet found by Wal- 
deck and drawn by him (reproduced by Maudslay, Vol. IV, Plate 
86, left), but it turned out to be another. In 1923 the writer 


PALENQUE, NEW TABLETS 193 


found a small fragment of a tablet with a hand carved on the sur- 
face on the same mound and fortunately this fragment fits the 
one found by TUX this year. Both are shown together in Figure 
162. 


Measurements show that the two tablets now flanking the en- 
trance of the church at Palenque Village came from the Temple 
of the Cross. Waldeck states that the tablets drawn by him be- 
long to the Temple of the Cross, and the fragments found by 
us indicate that such tablets were also found in the Temple of the 
Foliated Cross. From this we have a right to believe that not only 





Fic. 161-A—Palenque, Chis. Tablet No. 1 Fic. 161-B—Palenque, Chis. Tablet No. 1 after 
with stucco coating. stucco coating had been removed. 


did the sanctuaries in these three temples have carved limestone 
tablets on their back walls, but similar tablets flanked the doorways, 
each with one standing figure. 


In House D, of the Palace, we found a small inscription painted 
in black on the back wall of the northernmost chamber facing the 
court. Traces of line drawing and colours can be seen on a large 
part of this wall, but only the few hieroglyphs shown in Figure 
163 were distinct enough to be drawn. 


194 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


An inscription similar to the one found in the interior of: .fouse 
E and published by Maudslay in Vol. IV, Plate 42, was found on 
a wall at the northern end of the western court. ‘This inscription is 
enclosed in a border of red lines, but is so badly destroyed that 
nothing could be drawn. 


Leandro, the caretaker, had done quite well in holding down the 
rank vegetation. It is a hard job, for the government unfortunately 
maintains only one man to look after one of the most remarkable 
ruined cities on this continent. 





Fig. 162—Palenque, Chis. Tablet No. 3 and fragment of same tablet found in 1923. 


We noted that several floors had been dug into quite recently, 
and that fires had been burned on the floors in some of the temples. 
Asking Leandro how this occurred he showed us the visitors’ book, 
where we read the following: 


“Excursion Oriente de Chiapas llevado a cabo por el Sr. Pres- 
bitero Eleazar Mandujano A. Abril 20, 21, 22, 23, 1925. 


“Eleazar Mandujano A., Presidente; Jesus B. Martinez, Vice- 
Presidente; Victor Manuel Garcia, Fotografo; V. M. Figuerra y 
Galvez, Secretario; Carmen Ayanequi, Vocal (Voter); Juan Flores 
Castello, Vocal (Voter); C. Morales, Assistente.”’ 


MAYA RULERS 195 


This titled crowd came from Tila in Chiapas, where Mandujano 

is priest at the church, and had brought a train of about 30 
Indians and a band of Indian musicians. They made their camp 
in one of the temples and sent part of their party out with the care- 
taker while the other part made excavations. We found waste 
scattered all around. Even the fair Dofia Carmen, 

Gera, oN the lady love of the priest, had left a strip of inti- 
e 5 mate lacework on the floor. When they left they 
took with them four objects belonging to the local 
museum. Fortunately the caretaker discovered this 

and got them back by telegraphing to Salto de 


ber 3 
Agua, where the priest was arrested and held 
prisoner until the objects were returned. 
This for the Padre, most holy and learned man, 
supposed to be of the educated class, wandering 


around the country with a band and a mistress, 
“studying” ancient monuments. 


td 


f-€ It is more pleasing to turn a glance back to the 
days when the now ruined city was inhabited, and 

Fic. 163—Palenque, : : : 5 
Chis. Painted in- to visualize its rulers and people. The country was 


scription on the 


wall of @ room in divided into many minor states, each more or less 
“(Half size). -—-—sihostile to its neighbours. Each State was probably 
centered around a large city, like Palenque, and 
ruled by a chief or Halach Uinik. This position was hereditary, 
apparently handed down from father to son. Landa states in one 
place that the oldest son succeeded his father as ruler. In another 
place he says “ the lords were the governors and confirmed their sons 
in their offices if they were acceptable,” which seems to indicate that 
not the oldest son, but the most intelligent of the sons succeeded to 
the power. But he also states that the high priest Ahkin-Mai edu- 
cated the second sons of the rulers in the learning of the priests. At 
any rate, the power lay within certain ruling families, which un- 
doubtedly furnished both rulers and priests. 


The orders of the Halach Uinik were executed by Batabs, or 
district chiefs. This position was also hereditary, and the Batabs 
governed territories within which they held court and settled law- 
suits. They were expected to visit the Halach Uinik and render 
report to him of their districts, at the same time acting as his 
advisors. 

After the Batab came the Ahkulel who saw that tribute was paid 
and that the Batab’s house did not lack supplies. It was customary 
that the community provide houses and food for the rulers, and also 
maintain a certain number of soldiers in each village. These soldiers, 


196 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


selected among the young men, should always be ready for duty and 
were under the command of a Nacon or war chief, who.w~s elected 
for three years. In time of war all able men were called to fight. 
Another public servant called Nacon held this title for lifetime and 
had the duty of opening the breasts of the sacrificial victims. 


When standing among the ruins of an ancient city, it is so easy 
to let your imagination run back to the days when it was throb- 
bing with life; when men and women hastened to and fro, and 
the buildings were occupied. ‘The more one knows of those ancient 
inhabitants, the more vivid the picture will be. One visions the 
splendor of the rulers, high priests, and warriors among magnificent 
buildings, but one is apt to forget the sweat on the brow of the work- 
men and slaves who erected the beautiful buildings, and the men who 
tilled the fields or hunted in the forests to provide food for the table 
of nobles and workmen. 


Culture is the result of an abundant population and food sup- 
ply. There must be enough food to feed both farmer and city 
labourer before there can be leisure to produce architecture, sculp- 
ture, and science. The rich soil of the tropics furnished an abun- 
dance of corn, and the great forests were full of game. Only a part 
of the population were needed to produce the food. The remaining 
part could therefore dedicate themselves to manual labour, as build- 
ers, stone cutters, potters, and jewelers, and a small minority to 
their chief science, astronomy. 


Time is another thing we are likely to forget when we stand in 
a ruined city. We see all the great buildings around us, and marvel 
at their size. They appear to us as if grown up overnight a thou- 
sand years ago. But look!—there at the entrance to the aqueduct 
many slaves are hauling a huge stone block and trying to put it in 
place; stout vines are tied around the block; a foreman directs them 
with loud cries; all the slaves lay their strength to the ropes, and the 
block moves a few feet. Over on the main plaza a large lime kiln 
is burning. Hundreds of trees, cut by burning and with stone tools, 
are stacked up around blocks of limestone quarried with stone ham- 
mers. Long lines of wokmen carry stones and baskets of lime and 
dirt to build the pyramid of the Sun Temple. From the hills we 
hear the song of the workmen in the quarries, cutting tablets by the 
slow process of chipping stone against stone. 


The pyramids and temples were built in honour of the ancient 
gods. The palaces were domiciles of the rulers and priests. Com- 
mon man lived in palm-thatched huts such as the Indians use today. 
The stone buildings stand as a glorious monument to the Maya race. 
The houses occupied by common man, whose strength was put into 


PALENQUE 197 


the building of the temples, have all disappeared centuries ago. 
When w- 'ook out over the ruins of the holy city of Palenque, the 
original 1. ame of which is unknown, we must realize that what we 
see is only that section of the town which was dedicated to the wor- 
ship of the gods. The town where common man lived, the you and 
I of those days, probably lay down on the lowland. 


High above the palm roofed town the holy city would be hidden 
behind the fogs of early morning, and as the sun climbed higher the 
mists would rise like a curtain disclosing the mountainside where 
rows of temples painted in many colours shone in the sun against 
a background of green forests. 





Cuapter VIII 
INTO THE BIG FOREST 


From Montecristo on the Usumacinta river an oil company has 
built a motor road through the village of Palenque to their camp, 
8 kilometers to the southeast of the village. We rode along this 
road on level ground till we reached the Chacamas river, which 
flows out of the mountain behind Palenque ruins, towards the north- 
east and north until it joins the Usumacinta. It can easily be forded 
in the dry season, and the oil company’s tractors run through it with 
equipment to their camp. During the worst of the rainy season it 
has to be crossed in a box suspended on a cable. 





Fic. 164—Zona Sala, Chis. Oil Camp. 


Just after crossing this river the first hills are reached, and soon 
one climbs at a steep grade, so steep in fact that one would hardly 
believe that tractors could make it, and we begin to enter the big 
tropical forest. 

To reach the camp we crossed a sizeable mountain range, but 
the road being broad and good, and the animals in fine condition, 
this was easy. We rode over a wall built of rough stones across a 
pass in the mountains. It had the appearance of being a defense 
thrown across the pass to protect the valley behind. On either side 

199 


200 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


of this pass on the hill tops are groups of mounds arranged around 
rectangular courts. ‘The vicinity is rich in caves and itis told that 
a Belgian geologist, in search of oil indications, discovered such a 
eave filled with pottery. The writer had visited several of these 
caves during a previous trip, but found no signs of ancient occupation. 


Shortly after crossing the wall we came in sight of the oil camp 
and the drilling tower that lies on the floor of a small valley. The 
camp is perched on the top of a hill, and an extensive clearing has 
been made and planted with grass, the whole place breathing an air 
of order, an unexpected thing in this part of the world (fig. 164). 


Our cries brought our friends out of the houses, and we were 
soon seated in the mess house with a savory meal before us. 


The camp lies on prop- 
erty owned by one Sefior 
Sala, hence the name, 
Zona Sala. During exca- 
vations for the staff 
houses’ foundations on the 
hill some graves were en- 
countered. In one of these 
a clay vase and small fig- 
urine came to light. The 
vase is 16 c.m. high; its 
colour is orange and it has 
faint signs of decoration 


(fig. 165). 
Fic. 165—Zona Sala, Chis. Clay Figurine (17 ¢c.m. high) and ae $ 
. vase (18 cm. high) from a erate The figur ne 1S an ex- 


quisite example of the 
Maya potter’s art. It represents a woman holding a squatting child 
with her left hand and a small dog under her right arm. It is of 
terra cotta coloured clay, and blue paint can still be distinguished 
on her apron. The figurine is hollow, having a hole in the back for 
use as a whistle, and belongs to a class of pottery found in various 
Old Empire localities. They are all well executed, and very realis- 
tic. A remarkable thing about them is that in every case where a 
woman holds a child, the child has aged features and wrinkled belly. 
Can it represent a goddess holding her son, an aged god, by the 
hand? (fig. 166). 

At Zona Sala camp we rested for some days in order to put our 
notes in order, and to make arrangements for our journey into the 
mountains and forests. The employees of the camp were extremely 
helpful to us, and we will long remember the pleasant days we spent 





XUPA RUINS 201 


in their ‘gompany. Mr. Campbell, whom we had met several times 
before and who accompanied us from Salto to Palenque, wished to 
join us forma part of our trip, but unfortunately his work did not 
permit this. 


We spent one day in the ruins at Xupa, guided by Mr. Camp- 
bell. These ruins are two km. east of the camp, and have pre- 
viously been investigated by Teobert Maler, who gives such an elabo- 
rate description of them 
that later writers have been 
led to believe that this city 
was quite large. The group, 
though, is of moderate size 
with only one temple part- 
ly preserved (fig. 167) .* 

Maler describes and re- 
produces a stone tablet 
which he found on the slope 
of the temple mound. This 
showed a standing figure 
drawn with grooved lines 
on the surface of a lime- 
stone tablet. An extensive 
search was made, but it had 
disappeared. Local reports 
say that it was removed by 
a man who took it to his 
plantation on the Chaca- 
mas river. 


As Maler does not give 
a ground plan of the Tem- 
ple, we at once set to mea- 
sure it. The arrangement 
of its rooms are somewhat 
unusual in that the axis of 
the side rooms runs at 

Fic. 166—Zona Sala, Chis. Clay Figurine (whistle). right angles to the axis of 

the back room. Im the 

center of the back room is a small sanctuary, which can be entered 

through a hole in its roof. Its walls were painted red, and a stone 

lintel covered the doorway now blocked by the fallen roof. The 

building is badly destroyed, but we were able to get a fairly good 
plan and section of it (fig. 168). 





*Maler, 1901, Page 17 ff. 


202 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


The Temple faces east, towards the rising sun, and a ‘stairway 
leads from its doors down to a Plaza. We scouted aréund for 
monuments and stelae, but did not succeed in finding a1 y/ 


At noon Mr. Mitchel, in charge of the Zona Sala camp, appeared 
with a luncheon basket that proved him to be a connoisseur of good 
food. We went to the banks of the small Xupa creek, and in the 
shade of overhanging trees enjoyed another “civilized” meal. 


Along the left bank of the creek is a wall, undoubtedly built in | 
order to protect the city from being flooded by the swelling of the 
river during the rainy season. 


In the afternoon 
we returned to the 
camp, where we ran 
into some Bachajon 
Indians on their way 
to Finca Encanto, our 
next station, and we 
succeeded in persuad- 
ing them to wait two 
days for us and act as 
our guides. 


Then our _ horses 
were again shod, and 
a final reduction was 
made of our cargo. 
Ahead lay dense forest 
and bad mountain 
trails, so we discarded 
all equipment that was | TeZena Sata 


amp. 
not absolutely neces- 
sary. Fig. 167—Xupa, Chis. Rough map of ruins. 





Many of the labourers at the oil camp are Bachajon Indians. 
This tribe is reported to be a bad lot; the ones who have built their 
small settlement by the oil camp supposed to be the worst of all, 
having been ostracized from the tribe because of being murderers. 
Not that it matters much among the Bachajons to have murdered 
one or two; but there seems to be a limit, and this they are said to: 
have passed. 


The only work these Indians are good for around the camp is. 
clearing bush and collecting timber and firewood. They walk about 
in a stolid way, and always gather to stare at the fierce monster, the- 
tractor. When this backfires, they all take cover in the forest. 


XUPA RUINS 203 


From the hill on which the camp houses stand we had been look- 
ing down.,over a small clearing, beyond which stood a wall of forest 
and bel irg this rose the Cojolite mountain. Some years ago I had 
followed the direct trail up over the Cojolite pass (fig. 169) to the 
Finca Encanto. This road was known to travellers, so we preferred 
to make a detour by an obscure Indian trail in the hope that we 
might come upon ruins. 


Our animals got an extra meal of corn, and our Indian boys 
some large balls of “po- 
sole,’ corn dough which 
they mash in water and 
drink, one of their main 
foods when on the trail. 
Then we jumped into the 
saddles and while our In- 
dian guides led the pack 
animals towards the 
forest wall, we bade fare- 
well to our American 
friends who had treated 
us so royally, and hurried 
after our outfit. 


At first we followed 
the trail to Xupa which 
was fairly open for some 
distance beyond the 
ruins. Then we reached 
a point where no cutting 
had been done and our 
Indians had to get out 
MiermleteastecleMachetes; | Come ween wea) Cane eek ne a 
one of the few things the 
Indians have adopted 
Memeo s CIVILIZATION. | Pi. 162 kupa, Cs Crone’ Ban ae chon oa apie. 
They call them “Col- 
yeen,” getting this name from the American firm named “Collins” 
which is stamped on the blades of most of the knives used in Central 
America. The Mexican traders who sell the knives to the Indians 
read the double | in Collins in their Spanish fashion as ly, hence the 
name Colyeen. 









ws 


No ok 


For some hours we followed the valley towards the east, then 
swung due south and started to climb towards a mountain pass. 
Luckily this climb was not nearly so steep as the Cojolite pass. 


204 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


Here and there we had to stop to cut our way around «fallen 
forest giant, but the going was comparatively easy. J 


’ 


Reaching the top of the pass we frightened a drove of wild pigs, 
or pecary, fhe kind which have a aa gland on their backs, from 
which they emit a white, foul-smelling liquid when frightened. They 
rushed away grunting and squeaking, and my attempt to get one 
with our .22 rifle was unsuccessful. 


As we descended the southern side of the range the faint trail 
before us turned more to the southwest, and this was the main bear- 
ing of our travel for the next two days. 





Fic. 169—Zona Sala, Chis. View of Cojolite Pass. 


Chicle trees became frequent, and with them signs of the activi- 
ties of the chicle bleeders. 


Chicle is the name of the raw material for chewing gum, and is 
tapped from a tree called Chico-Zapote, found only in the Central 
American forests. It is a tall tree having very hard wood, so hard 
in fact that when dry a nail cannot be driven into it. The ancient 
Maya used the wood of this tree for beams and lintels in their tem- 
ples. Its gum was also used by them in offerings to their gods. 


This sap is tapped from the tree by the so-called Chicleros, or 
chicle bleeders. They climb the tree with the help of such spurs as 
are used by linemen climbing telegraph poles. With machetes they 


CHEWING GUM 205 


cut zig, Zag grooves in the bark of the tree, and snow-white gum 
00zes out 1 these scars down into a small bag tied to the foot of the 
tree. ‘Tha. sounds easy and simple, but when one has watched these 
men and the life they lead the story is quite different. 


The tree produces gum only during the rainy season, which 
means that the chiclero has to spend the worst time of the year in 
the heart of the forests, sheltered by small palm roofs, living far 
from supplies, and having to buy these at exhorbitant prices. Day 
and night it rains, and the chiclero is not far from being an aquatic 
animal. Generally he is a beast. All kinds of riff-raff run together 
in a chicle camp, mostly men who are “wanted” somewhere by the 
law. Fights in the camps are frequent, drunkenness is usual, and 
stealing and smuggling are daily occurrences. 


When he has gathered his bags with the white gum, the chiclero 
boils it down in small pans, and finally melts it together in a block 
of a dirty brown colour, weighing 100 pounds. Anything goes into 
the boiling pot to make the block a little heavier, and it is fortunate 
that the raw gum is thoroughly cleaned and sterilized before it is 
placed on the market. 


Two blocks make one mule-load. From the collector's camp 
these blocks are hauled out to the rivers, often requiring days and 
weeks over trails where the poor mules sink to their bellies in mud. 
Sometimes enterprising bandits hold up trains of 20 to 30 mules 
and mules and gum disappear, leaving only a few dead chicleros as 
mute records of what has happened. Fantastic are the tales that 
can be heard in the evening around the chicleros’ camp fire, and most 
of them are true. 


Chewing gum and Maya archaeology are closely related, strange 
as it may sound. When the Chiclero wanders around the forest on 
the look-out for zapote trees, he often runs across ruined buildings, 
stone monuments with inscriptions, or large pyramids. When the 
season is over he goes out to the small towns along the edge of the 
forest, and there he runs into the archaeologists who start into the 
forest as soon as the weather is dry enough to allow them to work 
with their cameras and other equipment. Often the chiclero guides 
the archaeologist over the trails he has broken in his efforts to 
satisfy the gum-hungry world. The waterhole which served the 
chiclero now serves the archaeologist, and the millions of ticks which 
were brought to the waterhole by the chiclero’s mule team hungrily 
attack the white skin of the explorer. 


We rode towards the sun all day, making a great semi-circle 
around the end of the Cojolite range. La Farge and I each shot 


206 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


a faisan, the large bird called curassaw in English, qnd,; ish” in 
Tzeltal. 19 


Our Indians were a cheerful crowd. All day long they would 
walk ahead of us cutting the trail; now and then stopping to cut 
the heart out of a small palm and eating it as a great delicacy, 
especially when fresh. At other places they would break open the 
huge nests of the white ants and with their machetes dig for bags 
of honey deposited by some small bees who favor these ant nests 
for their hives. 


About four o’clock in the afternoon, we stopped to make our 
camp on the banks of the small Mistolja stream. The horses were 
unloaded, and while some of the boys made a clearing where we 
rigged up our fly-sheet, others cleaned the two birds we had shot and 
planted the meat on sticks by the fire. Others went into the forests 
to cut leaves of the breadnut tree (Ramon) and a certain kind of 
small palm to feed our animals. In the big forest there is no grass; 
the animals have to be fed on leaves. This is sufficient for mules, as 
the sturdy animals can stand such a diet for many days, but horses 
very soon lose weight. 


At nightfall we sat around the campfire, eating our birds, and 
listening to the Indians chatting. It was our first camp in the real, 
big jungle. Soon we climbed into cur hammocks, and for a time 
lay listening to the thousand sounds of the tropical night, the 
monotonous singing of insects, small noises of nocturnal animals, and 
the murmur of the stream close by our camp. 


Evening in the jungle is beautiful; dawn is magnificent. We 
sat wrapped in our blankets drinking coffee when light began to 
appear high up in the tops of the trees, at first very sparsely and 
a pale gray. Little by little the light sifted down, and as it reached 
the bottom of the forest the sun threw a glimmer of gold on the 
tree-tops. The night insects became quiet, and the birds began to 
fly around and sing. He who has watched the daily awakening of 
life in the jungle will never forget it. 


The day was a strenuous one, for literally every step we ad- 
vanced we had to cut down undergrowth. It looked as if every tree 
which had fallen for the last few years had chosen to fall across the 
faint trail we were following. Sometimes we could hardly distin- 
guish the trail, and once we followed a path leading towards the 
north hoping that it soon would turn in the direction we should go. 
It did not, so we did. 


In one place we came across large mud holes, whirled up by the 
hoofs of innumerable wild pigs, one of their great bathing places. 
No birds were seen all day, so when we discovered some large black-— 


HARD GOING 207 


faced monkeys (batz) high up in a tree, our Indians asked us to 
shoot one or supper. I fired shot after shot at one with the rifle and 
hit him,’ but the brute hung on with all four hands and his tail. 
Finally he came down with a thud, and La Farge scornfully sug- 
gested that it was the weight of the lead I had pumped into him 
which had brought him down. One of the Indians loaded Mr. 
Batz on his back, and we trotted along until we reached the Bascan 
river. 


The Mistolja and the 
Bascan run into the Tulija 
river, above Salto de Agua. 
The crossing of the river was 
negotiated with some fear. The 
flow was swift, and there were 
deep places, but we were for- 
tunate in getting everything 
across without it being wet. The 
Indians undressed and bundled 
their clothes on their heads. 


A short stop was made for 
the Indians to drink their po- 
sole, a habit we were also ac- 
quiring. This drink is the mid- 
day meal. One meal in the 
early morning, another when 
in camp in the afternoon, and 
posole for lunch. If we stop 
at noon to have a regular meal, 
the result will invariably be 
that the Indians will “call it a 
day,” and it is next to impos- 
sible to get them started again. 


OT bv 0 ~ We followed the left bank 
Fic. 170—The dense jungle. of t h e Bascan, now headed 
towards the west, hoping to 
reach the direct trail from Palenque to Finca Encanto. The forest 
was nearly inpenetrable and it took us a couple of hours to cover a 
little more than a mile (fig. 170). As soon as we saw that we would 
not be able to reach the main trail before dark, we made camp on 
a small stream running out into the Bascan, and hardly had we got 
our tent-fly up before a strong rain started. ‘There was no time to 
build a palm-leaf shelter for the Indians, so we all huddled together, 
under the tent. 





208 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


When a lull came, two of the Indians rushed away to sk , ue 
monkey. It is, by the way, an ugly sight to see a flaye* Key. 
Lazaro looked after his dear “nifios” as he was calling \ e -iorses, 
and we helped the other Indians with the firewood and cuttiry leaves 
for shelter. When a second burst of rain came everything was in 
order, and steaks of monkey meat were roasting on sticks under a 
roof of leaves built over the fireplace. 


The Bascan Valley appeared to be quite broad in some places 
and somebody will undoubtedly find ruins in it one day, but we did 
not have such luck. The river is full of small falls built up of 
travertine, with long stretches of water navigable for canoes. With 
some portage it could well have been used for transportation in 
olden times. 


It was a great relief to reach the main trail about eleven o’clock. 
The manager of Finca Encanto, Mr. Linke Timler, expecting our 
coming, had sent Indians out to do some clearing along the trail. 
None the less we found that the hardest was yet to come. The climb 
up to the Mirador pass was steep, the soil slippery from the rain, 
and the new cutting difficult to negotiate in many places. Up and 
up we climbed. Our animals, accustomed to the level trails of Ta- 
basco, had much trouble with the rocky climb. Again and again 
they slipped and tumbled. Then we had to unload them, which was 
difficult, as they always found the worst places to fall. When 
freed of the pack, we had to set them up on all fours, and again 
put the load on. Innumerable times we had to stop to swing our 
heavy pack boxes on the beasts, generally standing in anything but 
a level place. We sweated and swore, packed one animal and ad- 
vanced about a hundred meters, only to find that another animal had 
fallen. It certainly tested both our patience and strength. 


Not until after three o’clock did we reach the top, and then we 
had to change the cargo from two of the pack animals to two of 
the saddle horses which were not so tired, as we had climbed on foot 
most of the time. 


From the highest point we slid and rolled down for about an 
hour until we reached a small arroyo, Zachalucum, where we made 
camp for the night. We were not the only travellers at this place. 
The “hotel” was already occupied by four Indians sitting under a 
palm-leaf shelter cooking their food as we arrived. They hardly 
stirred at our approach, though we must have been a formidable 
sight with our animals and guides. 


Soon the camp was in order, and our boys planted the legs and 
arms of the monkey we shot the day before on sticks around the fire 
for roasting. 


FOREST TRAIL 209 


* eve up at dawn, and saw our neighbors preparing for de- 
part. ~ \ bite of cold meat and a gourd full of posole was their 
breakiast. Then they gathered their belongings into nets, loaded 
them on''their backs, and trotted off for a day’s march. 


After a short ride from our camp we reached a descent, famous 
because of its steepness and because of the grim story of how the 
rebel general, Pineda, lay in ambush below when the federal troops 
tried to catch him. The soldiers coming from above could only ad- 
vance in Indian file, and as they were shot one by one, rolled down 
the mountainside giving place for the next one. Quite a practical 
place for an ambush. Now a few bones lie as silent records of the 
battle. 


Down we went and again a horse tumbled. Then up a hill and 
another horse slipped. At last we were down in the Tulija valley, 
and halted on the river bank where the boys drank their posole. 


We crossed without difficulty. A short distance further on we 
reached a road, a real road laid with corduroy, and alongside which 
grew thick juicy grass. Our poor animals immediately went after 
it and we had difficulty in keeping them going, but as we were now 
near our destination, the Encanto ranch, where the horses could 
rest and get plenty of fodder, we drove them on. 


Crossing another stream we rode along a broad, well made road 
lined with rubber trees and royal palms. As we neared the finca, 
the dogs began to bark, and when we rode up in front of the main 
house, we were most cordially greeted by an old friend, the manager 


Mr. Linke Timler. 





CuapTer IX 
ENCANTO 


We were now in a region where maps show either a blank or are 
drawn from the mapmaker’s imagination. Rivers run at the bot- 
tom of long narrow valleys enclosed by limestone mountains. Only 
from a few isolated peaks is one able to get an idea of the country, 
and then only the major outline, as all details are covered under a 
carpet of dense forests. 


The upper Tulija valley is typical of the tropical section of 
Chiapas. The Tulijé river forms the main artery with its sources 
extending far into the unknown forests towards the southwest of 





Fic. 171—Finca Encanto, Chis. 


the Encanto ranch. Several large rivers join it below the ranch; 
from the south the Agua Clara river, or San Pedro Savana, and 
from the northeast the Bascan and the Mistolja. Above the junc- 
tion of the Agua Clara and the Tulija, the latter is sometimes called 
Encanto river, but as the native Indians call it Tulija, we have 
retained this name. 


Below the village, San Pedro Savana, the Tulija runs through 
a gorge and forms a fall just as it emerges from the mountains into 
211 


212 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


the lowlands of Tabasco. At this point is the town Salto de Agua. 
Finally, the Tulijaé runs into the Rio de Macuspana belt the town 


of the same name. 2 


The Encanto ranch lies on a hillside on the left bank of the river, 
overlooking some large clearings planted with grass. From the trail 
one reaches the main house through a picturesque boulevard lined 
with royal palms (fig. 171). The main house is an attractive bung- 
alow covered with flowers, and by its side lies the store. Native huts 
lie in a horse-shoe along a hill enclosing a meadow to the southeast 
of the main house. Here, in the heart of the big forest, one sud- 
denly finds one’s self in the most comfortable surroundings. Mr. 
Timler, who has charge of the finca, at once made us feel at home. 
We were overwhelmed with the comfort of the place, and the con- 
veniences of a well run country home appeared as luxuries to us. 


Mail does not come often to Finca Encanto, so we were news. 
We had to tell about the latest happenings in Tabasco, and were 
told about the activities on the finca. Of the great outside world 
Mr. Timler was better informed than we, as he had two quite good 
radio receivers installed in one of the rooms. Here, a canoe trip of 
five days down the river from the nearest town Salto de Agua, and 
ten or twelve days from the coast, he would sit and enjoy concerts 
played in Mexico City or in some southern town of the United 
States, and receive the latest world news. 


During the dry season the powerful electric disturbances in the 
air make it anything but a pleasure to try to pick up a radio mes- 
sage, and I am afraid that we disappointed Mr. Timler very much 
by losing our interest in his sets after we had tried them a few times. 


We spent a day of rest by collecting a list of words of the lan- 
guage of the Indians. These belong to the Tzeltal tribe, and come 
from the Bachajon district. We went over our notebooks also and 
collected from Mr. Timler and his assistants, Don Arturo Tovilla 
and Ciriaco Aguilar, some information on ruins recently discovered 
in the region. 


It appeared to be fertile ground for our work. Several trails 
had recently been cut into the forest in order to ascertain its value 
in mahogany, and during this work ruins had been found, so at once 
we made plans. 


Mr. Timler accordingly provided us with a large dugout canoe, 
with two deck chairs in it, and a huge lunch basket. As propelling 
power we had three Indians poling and paddling, and one Indian 
aft with a steering oar. This latter, named Sebastiano Guzman, was 
the chief and also an important medicine man among the Encanto 
Indians. 


FINCA VIENA 213 


The Tulija river is narrow until its junction with the Agua 
Clara‘ (figzc172). The current was swift and we flew along, several 
times shoo.uing small rapids. In an hour and a half we reached the 
much broader and more sluggish main river, when progress became 
slower. The banks of the river were covered with tall cane, 10 
to 15 feet high, Cafia Brava, as the Spaniards call it. 


Before noon we landed at Finca Viena, formerly a cattle and 
coffee ranch. ‘The finea lies at a short distance from the river at the 
foot of a vertical cliff over the edge of which a small stream falls in 
beautiful white cascades. From a distance it looks as if the water 
falls right down onto the roofs of the buildings. 





Fic. 172—The Tulija River, Chis. 


As we neared the house, a man came walking out towards us, 
and we saw another man jump on a horse and gallop along a trail 
leading up the mountainside behind the ranch. 


The first of these men was the caretaker of Chuctiepa ranch, lying 
in the mountains behind Viena, and towards which we were headed. 
He started to question us, and soon made it plain that we were not 
at all welcome. He told us that he had instructions from the owners 
of the ranch that nobody could go near it, and in every way tried to 
stall us. We explained that the purpose of our trip was to investi- 
gate some ruins reported near Chuctiepa, and by mentioning several 


214 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


prominent men of the region, we seemed to gain ground v. th him 
little by little. 


Fe eased up a bit and invited us into the office where we opened 
our lunch basket, and settled down to watch things develop while 
our host continued his cross-questioning. 


We thought that he must have some political refugees hidden 
away somewhere up the trail and wanted either to get them out of 
the way, or to warn them of our coming. Now, political refugees in 
these parts of the world usually mean a small body of heavily armed 
men, who have been driven out of the country by the government 

and are on their way back to start 

= new troubles. Such noble distribu- 

tors of free tickets to heaven are, 

Pe as a rule, inclined to follow back 

trails, and therefore, when ap- 

proached in the right way, may 

furnish data of interest to explor- 

ing archaeologists. On the other 

hand, they also may be quick to 

hand out a free pass before you 

ask for it. Chances are about 75 
to 25 in favour of the free pass. 


Being well armed with our .22 
calibre riffle and a trench pick, we 
started towards Chuctiepa after 
the fleeing. man, guided by the 
caretaker, who rode behind us. 


Up the mountain trail and on- 

ward we wandered. Nothing hap- 

pened. We strolled along in the 

Fic. Bae eis yeni Sas and section baking midday sun, and still noth- 

ing happened. We reached the 

ranch house of Chuctiepa, and the caretaker invited us in for a 

lemonade—a most prosaic, but none the less welcome thing to have 

happen when you have been expecting to run into an ambush at 
every turn of the trail. 





The fleeing man passed us on the way back to Viena shortly be- 
fore we reached Chuctiepa, so we thought that he had warned the 
refugees either to take cover, or not to worry about the two Ameri- 
can lunatics who were searching for old stones. 


By the time we had finished our lemonades our host was ap- 
parently convinced of our complete madness and harmlessness, so he 
led us over to a field close by the ranch. Here were several small 


CHUCTIEPA RUINS wi 


terrac, ., and one large cluster of trees in the center. We proceeded to 
the edge of the forest, and immediately upon entering reached a large 
terraced pyramid with well-laid walls of stone. This faced approxi- 
mately south, with a stairway on its southern side. On top of the 
pyramid was a low wall, and so little debris that only a building 
of perishable material could have stood here. The detail plan and 
section of this mound (fig. 173) shows that it is not strictly sym- 
metrical, a somewhat unusual feature in Maya mounds. Also the 
walls on the top of the mound are low, and the 
central wall looks more like a table than a wall. 
There was probably a simple sanctuary against 
the back wall. 


Going towards the south from this pyramid 
(No. I) we reached the edge of a terrace and a 
ruined stairway leading down to a Plaza. We 
asked the caretaker if there were any monuments 
at this place, and he told us that one of the former 
managers of this coffee plantation, Mr. Albert 
Penny, a Britisher, with his wife had often searched 
the ruins for monuments but never found any. 
We therefore made a search along a line due south 
from Pyramid No. I, and great was the caretaker’s 
astonishment and our joy when we discovered part 
of a stone figure with its head missing (fig. 174), 
and in front of this a square stone altar, with a 
circular hole in its center. The lower part of the 
figure is roughly pecked, and appears to fit into 
the circular hole in the center of the altar. This 
figure is much like one found at Tortuguero, and 
also has characteristics familiar to Tonina, as we 
shall see. 





Fis, 174—Chuctiepa La Farge discovered the altar which lay face 
. e , 
corse. down. Turning it, we saw a row of hieroglyphs 


along the edge of all four sides of its top. Inside 
this border are four pairs of glyph blocks, somewhat smaller than 
those along the edge. 


The altar is approximately 30 centimeters thick, and on all four 
sides are bands of hieroglyphs. Unfortunately all are badly effaced. 
There appear to have been dates along the sides, and glyphs with- 
out calendrical significance on the top (fig. 175). 


The drawing of the hieroglyphs was difficult work, and one that 
really did not repay the labour as the stone was so badly weathered 
that only a few glyphs could be distinguished. 


216 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


Mounds II, III and IV enclose the plaza. Of the. inds IIL 
is the highest, with a stairway on its eastern side. Mound IIT faces 
north, and mound IV is a low terrace. North of this terrace lies a 
similar terrace (V on the map) in the southern side of which is a 
small vault, probably a burial chamber. 


North of Pyramid I rises a range of hills and south of Mound 
III runs the small creek, Arroyo Chuctiepa, which passes by the 
ranch house and empties into the Tulija river by Viena. 


To the west of this group of structures lies a mound of rough 
contours, and further west is the large cluster of trees already men- 
tioned. This group of trees hides a large terrace mound, on the top 


ie (Q) ‘ i Se yp a. “3 ey TH P " pea " 'a ye i 
i 20) eva aaa 
ese SAS) TS sah chad of] Cla rise Si IY, Z| i 


inet te Ra ckiaye AT ie 





Fie. 175—Chuctiepa, Chis. Altar. 


of which are several pyramids. <A stairway on its western side led 
to the top of the mound. As we reached the level top, we first en- 
countered a small mound lying at the center of the stairway, and 
then a plaza, with a mound facing away from it on the northern side, 
VII. On the southern and eastern sides are other mounds, VIII 
and IX. All three are without buildings on their tops. Back of 
Mound IX is a small sunken court (fig. 176). 


This completes the description of the Chuctiepaé rus. ‘They 
are not extensive, and show no features of major importance. ‘They 
are of interest as they form a link between the western Maya cities 
and the well-known ruins at Tonina. Through the presence of Maya 


CHUCTIEPA RUINS OAT 


hieroglyphsy-a vaulted chamber, and the form of construction of the 
pyramids, there is no doubt but that these ruins are Maya. The 
small stela of a human being is carved in full round, and shows more 
influence from the Tonina section than from the much nearer 


Palenque. 


It took all the afternoon to make the rough map of the ruins, 
and by dark we retired to the ranch where, now that we had estab- 
lished confidence, we were well received and offered beds. Before 
there could be any thought of sleep, we first had to de-louse our- 
selves of a couple of millions of ticks and redbugs with which we 
had been infested during the day’s work. Ticks are the most fero- 
cious and bloodthirsty animals one meets on the trails of Chiapas. 


Sc<ate 1: 4000 





Fic. 176—Chuctiepa, Chis. Map of Ruins. 


The following morning we drew the hieroglyphs on the altar, 
and then returned to Viena. Reaching that place, we at last got 
an explanation of the previous day’s mystery, and this explanation 
was a joke on us. The fleeing man had really been fleeing from us. 
The municipal president of San Pedro Savana did not like the looks 
of the caretaker at Viena, and had promised to hang or shoot him 
at the first opportunity. Our formidable army of two white men, 
three Indians with cargo, and the sight of our .22 calibre rifle had 
frightened him up the trail, very fortunate for us, as he was armed 
with a .88 calibre revolver and a heavy Mauser rifle. If he had 
opened fire on us instead of running, I am afraid that we would not 
have been able to report the discovery of the ruins at Chuctiepa. 


218 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


Now he sat before us looking out over the meadow forthe people 
who were after his life, while he chatted with us and served us a 
meal and a drink of rum. 


We then embarked in our big dugout canoe and proceeded up- 
stream on our return trip to Finca Encanto. Progress against the 
current was slow and the sun was blazing hot. The Indians were 
pushing us forward with long poles; starting at the bow of the canoe 
placing one end of the pole ‘at the bottom of the river, the other to 
their shoulders, they plod towards the stern; reaching it they swing 
the poles over their head and walk forward balancing them to allow 
those that are still poling towards the stern to pass by. They made 
a kind of endless human chain and the monotonous clatter of their 
bare feet on the bottom of the canoe made us drowsy. 


It was late in the afternoon when we reached the mouth of the 
Encanto river, and we decided to proceed to Agua Clara and return 
from there to Encanto on foot instead of sleeping on a bank of the 
river. Where the two rivers meet is a group of mounds in advanced 
state of ruin, which we named the Agua Clara mounds. 


Agua Clara is a ranch now partly abandoned. A Mexican care- 
taker and a few Indians live there. From it a good trail runs along 
the side of the valley to Encanto. The sun was getting low as we 
started, but by fast walking we succeeded in reaching the Finca 
Encanto just after dark. 


Sunday is always a day of celebration on the fincas. Both the 
Mexicans and the natives spend the day getting drunk. We were 
sitting on the porch of the main house enjoying the beautiful sur- 
roundings and fixing up our notebooks when Don Arturo Tovilla, 
m charge of the coffee plantation Cacate-el belonging to Encanto, 
came running towards the house and told us that one of the carpen- 
ters of the finca had drowned. The two carpenters belonging to the 
place had spent the morning in getting themselves thoroughly drunk 
whereafter they went for a trip on the river in a dugout canoe. 
When they tired of this, one decided to take a bath and carefully 
placed his hat on the river bank and went in with clothes and shoes 
on. The swift current and the rum got him. When we arrived his 
corpse was being dragged ashore. He was blue in the face with 
froth out of mouth and nose. We worked with him giving him 
artificial respiration for two hours without result. Then he was laid 
on a board and carried up to the carpenter’s shop to be laid out in 
state, as is customary here, and candles appropriately set in empty 
bottles were placed around him. While all this was going on his 
partner was sitting on a rock by the river, moaning and crying 
hysterically. 


SNAKE BITE 219 


Our cher guide, old Lazaro, had also taken a part in the morning 
celebration, but, being of a more balanced temperament, he selected 
the middle of the main road to the finca as the best place he could 
find to sleep. After a while he got up and went to his room, and 
when he returned to life towards evening and heard about the after- 
noon’s accident, he at once reported for duty in the crowd of mourn- 
ers who stayed up all night with the body, singing songs and lament- 
ing the death of one carpenter while the other carpenter beat time 
on the nails of the new coffin he was making. The drowning of the 
carpenter stopped us from going into the forest the next day as a 
statement had to be written and we were expected to report to some 
kind of local official who was coming from a distant village. We, 
therefore, spent the day in collecting data on the life of the Indians, 
making studies of their houses, and collecting words of their language. 


La Farge was attending to the linguistic work, and the writer 
was going to join him when three of the Indians who had worked 
for us on the river trip to Chuctiepa came towards the store carrying» 
the fourth. The latter had been bitten by a poisonous snake, and 
though Sebastian Gomez, the foreman, was considered to be the 
leading medicine man of the settlement he had done nothing but lay 
a ligature of vines above the bite, which was in the boy’s leg. The 
poor Indian was blue in the face and spitting lumps of blood. His 
right leg was dark blue and swollen to double its natural thickness. 
Sebastian would not cure him as he had nothing with which to pay 
for the services and could not buy the rum, without which no medicine 
man dares to deal with holy things. Therefore, they had brought 
him up to the finca and he did not come under our treatment until 
three hours after he had been bitten. 


We at once got out our medicine kit and cut the bite just over 
the two small red holes made by the fangs of the snake. Then 
permanganate crystals were smeared into the cut and more cuts 
were made lengthwise down his leg that he might bleed freely. 


After a while his sister arrived and had him carried off to her 
hut where she would try to persuade a local medicine man to pray 
over him. We later heard that the Indian snake doctors had refused 
to help him because we had touched him. Fortunately for us he 
pulled through and a week later when we left Finca Encanto, he 
was walking briskly around. 


Indian lumber scouts had reported ruins to the east of the finca, 
on the upper Tulija, and we therefore set out to investigate. Fol- 
lowing a newly opened trail along the right bank of the river we 
travelled for nearly a day in an eastern and southeastern direction. 





TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


Fig. 177—The Big Forest. 


ws 


YOXIHA RUINS 221 


All the way we passed through high forest (fig. 177). Until noon 
we rode over flat ground, but struck very bad going when we com- 
menced to climb over a ridge. The limestone rock was hard with 
many sharp edges, which made it poor going for our animals. For 
a while we rode through a narrow box-cafion, and then came to the 


top of the ridge. 


Waiting there for our pack train to catch up, we noted a party 
of spider monkeys in the trees. They were much excited about our 


Natural Bridge 


Qro 


Routns by Yoxe ha 
CH iapes. flex, 


—_—— 


Seale 1: 2000. 


spy F == — Ola Indian Teall 
OQ 





Fic. 178—Yoxiha, Chis. Plan of natural bridge and ruins. 


presence, and hung in the branches right over us jabbering and 
squeaking. One old monkey walked out along a long limb, took the 
end of it in his hand, and backed towards the trunk of the tree. 
Suddenly he let go with his feet, the bent branch stretched and 
catapulted Mr. Monkey through the air over into another tree. We 
had never noted this trick before, and were much amused at seeing 
several other monkeys do the same thing. 


222) TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


From this place we descended_the ridge by a zig-zag. u10.. At 
the bottom we followed a vertical limestone wall, one hundred and 
more feet high. We were nearing the river, which at this point 
runs through a deep canon. Following along the edge of this cafion 
we soon saw signs of ancient construction, and before long were at 
the ruins of Yoxiha, and found a palm hut built by some men whom 
Mr. Timler had sent ahead to prepare camp for us. 


Yoxiha is a remarkable place. The Tulijé river is blocked here 
by a natural bridge, or rather, a wall of limestone that runs across 
the river, which disappears beneath it to reappear out of a cave a 
few hundred meters further to the west. On the right bank of the 
river at this natural bridge the ancient Maya built a group of small 
pyramids around plazas. 





Fic. 179—Yoxiha, Chis. The Tujane Expedition Camp. 


Above the bridge are some caves, and the river banks are nearly 
vertical limestone walls covered with the most luxuriant vegetation. 
At the foot of the bridge is a deep whirlpool, where the emerald 
green waters of the river disappear underground, spinning tree 
trunks and branches around in a mad chase. On the lower side of 
the bridge is less current and there the cliff overhangs a large deep- 
green pool in which small fishes flash to and fro. No wonder the 
Maya selected this spot for their temples (fig. 178). 


An old Indian trail crosses the bridge and winds in between the 
ruins. 


YOXIHA RUINS 223 

W. tnade a plan of these ruins and then explored for more on 

the left side of the river. Black clouds were gathering, and before 

dark a heavy storm broke, so we huddled together under a leaking 
palm roof and pretended to have a good time (fig. 179). 


During ,our reconnaissance we found ten stelae, all long, oddly 
shaped slabs of limestone without carvings. Only one of these was 
still standing, all the others were flat on the ground. Some of these 
slabs were quite large, the largest being 4 meters long, 55 ¢.m. broad, 
and 14 ¢c.m. thick (fig.180). 


On the top of the main mound La Farge discovered a hole in the 
ground—a thing an archaeologist cannot find without having to see 
| what is inside. So we lifted some stones 
& and came upon two chambers, one beneath 
= the other. The upper chamber was small 
and partly filled with dirt. A candle on a 
long stick was let down into the lower 
chamber to test the air and also to “see 
what we could see.” We found a pleasant 
surprise. There on the floor of the cham- 
ber, partly covered in dust accumulated 
through centuries, stood a row of beautiful 
pieces of pottery. The approaching rain 
and nightfall prohibited further investiga- 
tion, and as we wished to have Mr. Timler 
present when we entered the chamber, we 
decided to send a messenger to him. In 
the meantime, awaiting his arrival, we de- 
cided the next day to go further into the 
forest to investigate more ruins. 


Half a day’s ride brought us to a second 
group of mounds and walls called Muxcul- 
Poiircawecusostaa, 04 by the Indians. These were built against 
the side of a hill in an irregular and some- 

what unusual way. Apparently there were no features of special 
importance here so we limited ourselves to making a ground plan 


(fig. 181.) 


This group is also associated with a natural bridge, though it 
does not lie as close to the bridge as at Yoxiha. The natural bridge 
at Muxculha is likewise a wall across the river, under which it 
disappears. The wall is quite narrow, and much higher than 
the Yoxiha wall. Standing on top of it and looking upstream one 
can see the river disappearing in a whirlpool over a hundred meters 





224 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 

[si a 
below. Huge tree trunks lie scattered around at the bottom of th 
river cafion. 

With some difficulty we succeeded in reaching the river below 
the bridge, and here came upon a scene of rare beauty: a narrow 
gorge, the walls of which were covered with trees nearly meeting 
and forming a tunnel of green. At the end of the gorge the river 
emerges from a large cave, first forming a small lake, and then 
thrusting itself against a large rock, where it burst into white foam 
(fig. 182). 

Again rain clouds piled up, and we reached camp just in time 
to take shelter under a small palm roof which our Indians had built 
while we investigated the ruins and the gorge. It did not take them 
long to build the house, nor did it take the rain long to run through 





Fic. 181—Muxculha, Chis. Ground plan of ruins. 


the roof. We soon stopped the leaks with palm leaves and our 
rubber ponchos. 


After dark as we sat close together with our interpreter, guides, 
and Indians, a crackling noise was heard outside. Somebody sug- 
gested that it was our animals eating leaves; one man said that it 
might be some small animals jumping among the branches over our 
heads. But one boy insisted that it was a tree breaking, so he took 
a lantern and went out into the rain to see. No sooner was he out- 
side before he gave a cry of alarm, and out we all rushed. In the 
flicker of the lantern we saw a huge tree slowly bending towards 
our hut. It was pitch dark, and the rain was pouring down. ‘The 
Indians disappeared into the black forest. Which way would the 
tree fall—how far would it reach—would it take other trees along in 


e 


25 


bo 


MUXCULHA RUINS 


1? Where were our animals tied—would they escape—would 
the 1ndians escape — would we escape? Such thoughts rushed 
through our minds in the few seconds it lasted. A crack, another 
erack, one more, a hurricane broke loose, a volley of cracks, and a 
booming thud as the forest giant snapped and came down taking 
several smaller trees along in its fall. 


A few minutes went by, then one Indian after another ap- 
peared in the small circle of light made by our lantern. We went 
to the hut. It had not been touched. The trunk of the huge tree 
lay parallel, within three meters of it. ven the coffee pot, which 
hung on a tripod in front of the hut was untouched, and the coffee 
was boiling merrily on. 


It was a narrow 
escape. After the excite- 
ment, chattermg went on 
among the Indians for a 
while, then quiet fell 
over the camp and we all 
went to sleep. 


Morning brought sun- 
shine, and for the first 
time we fully realized 
how near we had been to 
a sudden end. We dis- 
covered that the reason 
for the tree falling was 
that during the dry sea- 
son the rotten interior of 
the huge trunk had dried 
out thoroughly and when Fig. 182—The Tulija River emerges from a cave. 
the rains started the 
limbs became weighted down by water. When it could stand no 
more weight it had come down. 


A few hours’ ride brought us to our goal, a small lagoon called 
Jolha, the headwater (fig. 183). Here we found a large camp 
built some months before by Mr. Timler’s men, and as there were 
no ruins in the vicinity we took the afternoon off, loafing around in 
the forest and taking shots at large alligators floating lazily on the 
water of the lake. 

Around Jolha mahogany is plentiful (fig. 184). It has not 
been cut for it is impossible to float the trees down the river because 
of the two natural bridges we had just passed. In case these 








226 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


regions should be opened to exploitation, the bridges would have to 
be blasted away. When this happens two spots of great beauty and 
charm will disappear. ‘ 

Another tree found to be abundant was the Cacao. Here it 
grows wild, or we may have the remnants of an old Maya planta- 
tion. We know that the Mexican Indians held the Cacao tree in 
high esteem. The beans were used as small change in the trade of 
those days, and the drink 
cacao, or chocolate, was 
common far up into 
northern Mexico where 
the tree did not grow. At 
the time of the Spanish 
Conquest we hear of Az- 
tec rulers sending whole 
expeditions under armed 
protection down to Socon- 
usco on the Pacific coast 
in search of the treasured 
bean. Wars were fought 
over cacao in pre-Con- 
quest days, and the Span- 
ish padres remonstrated 
with the Spanish soldiers 
for taking so eagerly to 
this, the favourite drink 
of the idolaters.* 

Our interpreter, Ciria- 
co Aguilar, a most excel- 
lent man given to us by 
Mr. Timler, told us that 
in certain parts of the 
Ocosingo valley the In- 
dians to this day use the 
cacao bean as small change in their negotiations with each other. 














Fic. 183—The Jolha Lagoon. 


Back at Yoxiha, we found our messenger returning with a note 
from Mr. Timler, telling us that he could not join us. We there- 
fore at once commenced to work on the two burial chambers in the 
main mound, No. I on the map. 


Inside the mound are two chambers, one below the other (fig. 
185). We had already had a glimpse of the pottery standing in the 


*Leon Pinelo, 1636. 


YOXIHA TOMB 227 
lower chamber through a hole in the top of the mound. Several 
large ‘stones were removed and this gave us access to the upper 
chamber, which was partly filled with dirt. We found a badly de- 
caved skeleton and some beautiful pots. Several of these pots were 
broken, but we carefully collected the sherds, and upon our return 
to Encanto succeeded in assembling them. 


This upper chamber is a burial vault, not very large, and it ap- 
pears that the upper part of the mound was added to give room for 
it. The remarkable feature 
about this pottery is that every 
piece but one in the upper 
chamber stands on three small 
besisi ee Lurthermore, all the 
pieces are polished. Some of 
them have incised drawings, 
but none are painted. The pots 
and bowls were numbered in 
the order in which they were 
found. 


U-1, U-5, and U-8 are ex- 
actly alike. They appear to 
be dishes and stand on three 
hollow legs, inside which are 
pebbles that rattle when the 
bowl is moved. They are made 
of cream-coloured clay temper- 
ed with fine sand. On the sur- 
faces they have a fine black 
polish, with spots on each 
where the polish has been worn 
off, in two cases going right 
through the side of the vessel. 
At first this looked like cere- 
monial killing, but on closer 
examination it was seen that these holes were produced by rubbing 
or scraping (fig. 186). 





Fic. 184—A Mahogany Tree. 


U-3 is of the same type as the dishes mentioned above. It was 
badly smashed, and could not be assembled. 


U-4 is a small bowl on three feet. On one side is a convention- 
alized face, very crudely made with applique clay pellets and in- 
cised lines. ‘The face resembles somewhat the incense vessels made 


228 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 
at present by the Lacandon Indians. The paste is gray andi. y 
polished (fig. 187). 

U-6 is a large brown vase of’ very finely textured clay, with thin 
walls. There is no decoration on this vessel, and its bottom is quite 








Sealed door 





Section. Plaw 


Fic. 185—Yoxiha, Chis. Plan and section of two burial 
chambers in Mound 1. 


flat. This is the only vessel in the upper chamber that has no feet 
(fig. 188). 

U-7 is similar in form to U-6, though it stands on three low 
solid feet. On its surfaée are incised three sitting figures in profile. 


PLATE Ill. 





JAR U-6, YOXIHA, CHIAPAS 


\ 
&, 
' 
& 
re 
i 
4 
§ 
‘ 
é 
t 
‘ 
i‘ 
: 
‘ 
gf - 
’ 
' 
} 
te 
‘ 
3 : 
j 
P 
. i x 
bi ad - 
f * : 
r 
? - 
ri 1 ar ‘ 
Cw 
Se of hy 
peat ftat | ve a 
- . 
“ : 
' 
a 5 
Pa ee 5 hls 4 
WARE pre Hp ete te dare 
. 
. 
“ 





YOXIHA POTTERY 229 


Th » have long feathers hanging from their head-dresses. 
(Plz... Jil). A peculiar technique has been employed. It appears 
that the ckground between the figures was covered with some sub- 
stance when the vessel was fired, rer eby colouring the figures a dark 
brown and after removing said substance, leaving the “background 
a lighter shade of brown. 

U-9 and U-10 are both of gray clay, and alike in form though 
not of the same size. Both have incised drawings on the surface 
showing an animal resembling a monkey. The tail of the animal 


RAR 


a 


TH HH ra \ hn LEDS, 
tt mat tA il f 
aN ea i i M i i“ ' i 


ili MW ttl di 
x {i i i it i _ 





Fics. 186 and 187—Yoxiha, Chis. Tripod Bowl, U-4 and U-5. 





Fig. 186-187. 





Fic. 188—Yoxiha, Chis. Jar U-6. 


is too thick to be that of a monkey, and its eyes are very large, so it 
may represent the small nocturnal lemur, Mico de Noche (fig. 189). 

U-2 was a badly damaged bowl of which only fragments were 
found. 

The skeleton was placed with its head towards the north (Palen- 
que style), and by it we found a few teeth, of which one incisor had 
been filed into a point and inlaid with a black stone. Such teeth 
with inlay have been found in various parts of the Maya area, and 
the custom of beautifying one’s self through tooth filing or inlaying 
teeth is known all through Central America, and also in parts of 





HON AE 
tl it i Wa 


(NY i i i att He eae 


me e ui ( l) i MN 7 


89—Yoxiha, Chis. Tripod Bowls, U-9 





TTT 







——————_ 
=r 
— —_— 


22 















i ian 





and U-10. 


sees? 


j mea i aa ch i 7 
E A ty) BD 


at i Yi 





YOXIHA POTTERY 231 

ica.* To have one’s teeth filed was undoubtedly con- 
le mark of high standing and beauty, but, considering the 
rious other methods of personal enhancement used by the Maya, 
the tooth decoration may be one of minor im- 


portance (fig. 190). 
a An Old Empire noble was prepared from his 
earliest infancy to become a beauty. First, his 
skull was artificially deformed by laying the in- 
fant’s head between boards in order to flatten the 
forehead and make it slant backwards. As it was 
a mark of beauty to be cross-eyed, the proud Maya 
eiiled incisor ‘oth ~=©— Mother placed pebbles of wax on the bridge of the 
with at See ~©— so nose of her child, that he might acquire the habit 
while young. Add to this the filed and inlaid teeth 
and a coating of red paint all over the body, large jade ear and nose 
plugs, a cotton cloak, a huge helmet inlaid with jade and adorned 
with feathers of the green quetzal bird, and one will have a picture 
of a Maya Beau Brummel. 





It is possible that the man laid to rest in the upper chamber was 
one of these. Undoubtedly he was a person of high rank, otherwise 
he would not have been buried in the 
top of the principal mound in the city, 
together with a large collection of 
precious clay vessels for his food on his 


he eI 8 
journey to another world. 
Rain water had washed out the east- L&8 


ern side of the upper chamber, and 
made a small opening down to the lower 
chamber. ‘This is really an antecham- bu 
ber and a passage. The antechamber 
lies towards the west, and against the 
wall stood a large collection of beauti- ei 
ful, painted pots. Nearly all stood on 
the surface, only partly covered with a 
layer of dust accumulated through cen- 
turies. Some of the smaller bowls were 
inside the larger ones and nearly all ae 
were intact and had their colours pre- 


served amazingly well (fig. 191). Soe eT Roni ae eke 
Pottery in Lower Chamber: 


L-1. A dish or flat bowl with a design in color representing a 
conventionalized snake’s head on either side. The slip is orange red, 


*Saville, M. H., 1913. 


232 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


on which the design is painted with black outline and th x 


and dark red (Plate IV. a.) 


L-2. A bowl of red clay tempered with sand. C Oo 
it is painted with a cream colour, inside it has a strony orange  el- 
low colour highly polished, and along the inside rim runs a line of 
deep red. 


L-3. A dish or flat bowl of a form similar to L-1. The vessel 
has an orange yellow slip on which two conventionalized currassaws 
or Faisan Real are painted in red, brownish black, and gray. The 


outlines of these designs are drawn in black. Along the inside of the 
rim is a design in dark red (Plate IV. b). 


L-4. A bowl with straight sides and a warm orange slip, on 
which is painted a design in black. The main motifs for this design 
have been taken from basket making, and the design continues over 
the bottom of the vessel. The whole vessel has a fine polish, both 
on exterior and interior (Plate V.) 


L-5 is a bowl with plain cream coloured exterior, painted orange 
and having a high polish. 


L-6 and L-8 are alike in form, having a flat bottom with everted 
lip. They are painted and polished orange red on the exterior, and 
plain inside. 


L-7 is a small plain bowl, with faint signs of drawings on the 
exterior. It is black and has polish. 


L-9 is identical with L-5 both in form and colouring. It was 
found badly broken, and some pieces were missing, so it was not 
repaired. 

L-10. This is a finely shaped small bowl. Inside it has a deep 
red colour, and outside a fine black polish. 
On one side is an ornament carved in low 
relief, and of very decorative effect (fig. 
192). 


L-11. The next find consisted of two 
pieces of shell with a mother of pearl 
lustre. These shells may have been orna- el ae 
ments though they carried no sign of hav- _ Fic. 192—Yoxiha, Chis. Bowl L-10. 
ing been carved. Fragments of three 
bowls were found in the fine dirt below these pieces of pottery. These 
were of the same type as L-5 and L-9, and too incomplete to be as- 
sembled. They were numbered L-12, L-13, and L-14. 


In all, 24 pieces or fragments of pieces of pottery were found in 
this mound. The objects in the upper chamber all stood on three 





PLATE IV. 








Taner Rim NEL 3. 








inaer Rim wis 
O.L.la 


BOWL L-3, AND BOWL L-1, YOXIHA, CHIAPAS 


eet <n 





PLATE V. 





BOWL L-4, YOXIHA, CHIAPAS 


a Tet 





YOXIHA POTTERY 233 


1 the exception of one, as above stated. Several of 
the lower chamber stand on circular rims. It is ap- 
le upper chamber is of a later date than the lower 
e have here a hint of pottery stratification, i. e., that 

| pottery standing on three legs is of later date than those 
d ng on a circular rim. Furthermore, the majority of the pots 
fourd in the lower chamber were decorated with paint, and those in 
the upper chamber were without paint and had incised designs. 


In the lower chamber we also found two small disks the size of 
a nickel, though thinner. One of these is of slate, the other of sand- 
stone. ‘They look so much like coins that the Indian who found one 
of them kept it for himself until he had found out that it was not a 
coin. What these may have been used for is difficult to say. 


No signs of a burial were found in the lower chamber. However, 
there is a sealed door towards the east of this chamber, and there is 
likely to be a burial room behind this door. Again we were detained 
from further exploration because of our promise to the Mexican 
Government, Department of Anthropology, to make no excavations. 


The upper chamber is built of small stones set in mortar. The: 
walls of the lower chamber are of large cut stones. 


All the pottery was carefully extracted, packed, and _ trans- 
ported to Finca Encanto, where it was dried and assembled. Then 
every piece was photographed and drawn, and the whole collection 
left in care of Mr. Timler. 


The collection of pottery discovered by us again shows us what 
high artistic standard the Maya reached. Several fine collections of 
pottery have been found before. The most notable are those found 
in the eastern part of the department of Petén, Guatemala, now in 
the Peabody Museum of Harvard University, and the famous vases 
from Chama, unearthed by Mr. Dieseldorf. However, very little 
has been published on Maya pottery. Hardly anything is known 
of the relative age of the different types and styles, nor do we know 
of the various centres of manufacture. A study of these problems 
is now being made by Dr. S. K. Lothrop. 


The exactness with which these pieces of pottery are formed is 
astonishing, and leads one to believe that Mercer is right when he 
insists that the Kabal, or primitive potter’s wheel, seen by him in 
Yucatan in 1895, is an invention by the Maya and not imported 
from Europe with the Conquest. Whether these pieces were turned 
on the Kabal or built up in the hand without a wheel, we cannot but 
admire the skill with which they are formed, and the sure hand with 
which the designs are drawn. There is nothing primitive in the art 


234 TRIBES AND TEMPLES 


of the Maya potter, and many pieces from his han? Tank among 
the finest pieces of ancient pottery in the world. 


Hardly had we returned to the comforts of the ‘n¢# ‘anto, 
when our Indian friends told us of another group of ruin’ ~ far 
from the trail to Palenque, so while La Farge investigate the 
customs of the natives around the finea, the writer set out or” ot 
with a small band of Indians. 


The guide, Antonio Kuch, took the trail following the telet —e 
lhne from Encanto to Salto de Agua. After two hours’ walk ’ 
very broken ground, we reached the Palenque trail, and continu * 
westwards reached a small creek named Huxumachital by the | 





Fic. 19838—Huxumachital, Chis. A ruined Temple room. 


dians. The name is a combination of the local language Tzeltal, 
and Spanish. The first part of the word Huxu or Hux means “to 
sharpen,” the second part, “machete” is the Spanish for bush knife, 
and finally, the tal is the locative Spanish ending. Im short, “the 
place where you can sharpen bush knives.” This name has un- 
doubtedly been given to the creek, because there are outcrops of a 
fine-grained sandstone in it, and the Indians find these useful for 
sharpening their bush knives. 


Crossing the creek we climbed a small hill, and soon reached an 
abandoned Indian ranch house. 


From this place was a most magnificent view over the uppe 
Tulija Valley. Behind us at the foot of the valley lay a mountai- 


PLATE VI. 


Sie 











ences 


eee, 








THE TULIHA VALLEY 





UXUl ACHITAL RUINS 235 
rang € 4: crant cover of gigantic trees, and on its far side, 
range -ang. of mountains. Our road lay over these (Plate 


VD) « 

a short distance from the abandoned ranch house the ruins 
stoo’ on a small knoll. The group was not very large, as a matter 
of fict only a few mounds around a court. The largest of these 
f-ceu approximately west, towards the court, and here were the re- 
n 1s of one room (fig. 193), and the fallen roof of another. These 
t vooms lay along the west side of the mound and faced the court. 


The room exposed by its roof falling outwards showed the typical 
Maya construction. No designs or stucco ornaments were found on 
its well-preserved back wall. 
It may be that more rooms 
lie hidden under debris of the 
mound (fig. 194). 


A search was made for 
carved monuments, but none 
was found, so when a ground 
plan of this small group of 
ruins had been made we re- 
turned to Encanto, arriving 
late in the afternoon. 


We spent several days at 
Encanto as there was much 
work to do. La Farge was 
busy with his studies of the In- 
dian customs and the writer 
occupied himself with making 
sketches of the pottery found 
at Yoxiha. It was work and 
rest at the same time. 

Fic. ee aetn, Plan of ruins. La Farge h a d collected 

much data on the Indians, but 
one thing that he had not seen was an Indian burial ceremony. We 
could not very well kill an Indian for that purpose, but as it hap- 
pened the Indians themselves furnished us with the missing data. 





While I was making water colour sketches of the Yoxiha pot- 
tery, an Indian came running with the news that there was a dead 
man lying in front of one of the Indian houses. Following him, I 
saw an Indian lying on the ground, face down. For all I could see, 
he might be drunk and taking a rest. Turning him over I saw that 
he had a large hole in the abdomen. He had been shot from a short 
distance with a shotgun, and was quite dead. Two or three Indian 


236 TRIBES AND TE? PLE 


women sat around wailing and screaming. ‘n. of *hem. was quite 
a pretty girl. : 

The murderer had escaped, and in bits ana fragments I got the 
following story. Sebastian Moreno, Indian, had a pretty sister with 
whom he led a married life. None the less, Pasqual Guzman® U- 
ready married, wanted this girl and was courting her much to’ the 
disgust of Sebastian. 


For a long time trouble had been brewing. 'They had both got 
drunk. Sebastian had drawn his machete, and given Pasqual some 
bad slashes in the shoulder, whereupon the latter jumped into his 
hut, grabbed a shotgun, and fired at Sebastian a few feet away. 
Bleeding badly from his cuts, Pasqual ran for the forest. 


A small detachment of the Mexican employees of the finca at 
once set out in pursuit of the murderer, but soon returned without 
having found anything but bloodstains on the bushes. 


Meanwhile those who stayed behind had locked up Pasqual’s 
wife. Everybody insisted that he would return to get his wife, and 
that she would follow him to some secure place far back in the 
forest, where they would build their house and make their fields, 
living outside the reach of the authorities. I thought this rather 
doubtful, but towards the afternoon some of the Mexicans came 
walking in with the murderer securely tied. They had found him 
stealing towards his house and caught him as he tried to enter. 


It was a strange sight. One-half of his body was white, his 
cotton trousers and shirt; the other half was red from blood stream- 
ing out of a deep gash in his shoulder. 


Murderer or not, I at once attended him, washing his cuts, and 
treating them with antiseptics. He had one cut under his chin, and 
was minus the tip of one finger from gripping the blade of the 
machete which Sebastian was wielding. Worse was the cut in the 
shoulder, clear to the bone. 

All the time I was treating the wounds, he did not show the 
slightest sign of pain. He just looked at me. He was afraid he 
would be hanged, and it was pitiful to watch him being led away, 
securely bound, to be held till the authorities from San Pedro 
Savana could come for him. 

That night the family of the dead Sebastian -held a wake, and 
the next day at noon he was buried. La reo attended both of 
these ceremonies.* 

Finally on the 7th of June our work at Encanto was completed, 
and in the afternoon of that day we rode abe to Cacate-el, a small 


~ *Deseribed in Chapter XIV, “The Northern Tzeltal Tribes.” 


-\yCACATE-EL 237 


coffee piantation | longing ‘> the Encanto people and managed by 
Don Arturo Jovi! 


The plaznation house les in a small valley, picturesquely located 
among groves of palms and bananas. Don Arturo received us with 
.. Mexican courtesy, and with him we spent a charming evening, 
surrounded by twenty or more Indians who had brought their small 
home made guitars, and played soft native tunes to us in the light 
of large gasoline torches. 


Don Arturo had already been of great help to us at Encanto. 
He has lived a long time among the Bachajon Indians, speaks their 
language, and is well acquainted with their customs. Far into the 
night we sat listening to his tales, and again we were lucky in pick- 
ing up a bit of folk lore. 


Reluctantly we left our friendly host, who followed us on the 
way. Mr. Timler had given us the use of several good pack mules 
which he was sending up to the highlands for provisions, and had 
also given us the able guide and interpreter, Ciriaco Aguilar, who 
had been with us all during our stay in the Encanto region. Ahead 
of us lay mountains, valleys, rivers, and bad trails. The road led 
right through the country of the Bachajons, feared by most Mexicans 
in those parts of the world. 











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